The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has directed workers to report banks not dispensing cash to its state councils, ahead of a planned strike over the scarcity of naira notes across the country.
This is even as leaders of NLC have scheduled a meeting of the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting tomorrow to take a final decision on Wednesday’s planned nationwide strike.
It was gathered that NLC gave the directive weekend after its NEC meeting on Friday where affiliate unions and state councils of NLC were directed to monitor the cash situation and how banks were dispensing naira notes to workers.
Speaking in an interview with VANGUARD yesterday, President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, said: “Our affiliate unions and state councils were directed to monitor the situation. Workers have been directed to report banks not dispensing cash to NLC state offices.
”Our state councils and affiliates unions are to report back to us the prevailing situations in their states by Tuesday when we will hold another NEC meeting. The report we get from them will determine our next line of action.
”In fact, the seven days ultimatum we gave will expire on Tuesday (March 28). The report will determine our final decision. As we speak, I am out on the streets of Abuja monitoring the situation.
”I am also aware that officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, were in Lagos on Saturday and Sunday to monitor the situation.”
It was gathered that part of the decision was that “the nationwide strike will be a sit-at-home and picketing of the headquarters of the CBN and all its offices nationwide on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. If the strike commences, it would continue until cash becomes available to all Nigerians.”
Meanwhile, Femi Falana SAN, the National Chairman of Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond (ASCAB) has declared: “Solidarity for the action promised by the NLC, which if anything is overdue. We look forward to being able to assist with the pickets of the CBN offices in every state and providing any support that we can for the planned stay at home action.
