ABUJA (Reuters) – Nigerian workers went on strike on Tuesday to demand a reversal of President Bola Tinubu’s reforms aimed at reviving growth in Africa’s largest economy which has compounded a cost of living crisis.
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), which represents millions of workers across most sectors in the West African nation, called on Friday for a two-day strike in preparation for an indefinite strike on Sept. 21.
Tinubu, who inherited a struggling economy with record debt and high inflation, scrapped a popular but costly petrol subsidy which caused pump prices to more than triple. He also lifted currency restrictions, causing the naira to weaken sharply.
“Today’s action is see how government can reverse its policy because every family is feeling the pain of harsh policies … which has resulted in the astronomical increase in transportation, food, goods and services … just to name but a few,” said NLC’s Bayelsa state secretary, Angese John.
Unions staged a strike a month ago but suspended their action following an offer of talks with the government, but those did not result in concessions sufficient to placate organised labour.
Most banks in the capital city of Abuja were shut on Tuesday while electricity workers were locked out of their premises by unions, causing power cuts in most homes and offices in the capital.
“We are all outside while other workers have gone home. Now, there’s even no supply centrally to Abuja,” one electricity worker said.
In the commercial capital of Lagos, the strike was more muted because most workers are employed in the less unionised private sector while in parts of Kano state union officials were enforcing a stay at home at schools and banks.
(Reporting by Chijioke Ohuocha and Camillus Eboh in Abuja, MacDonald Dzirutwe in Lagos, Hamza Ibrahim in Kano and Tife Owolabi in Yenegoa, editing by Ed Osmond)
