The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria have issued a 14-day nationwide strike notice to President Bola Tinubu’s government.

The strike notice, which was issued in a statement on Thursday, was jointly signed by NLC president Joe Ajaero and TUC president Festus Osifoh.

The notice was over Mr Tinubu’s failure to implement the 16-point agreement it reached with organised labour on October 2, 2023, following the removal of the fuel subsidy, which has led to untold hardship for both workers and citizens.

The union leaders recalled that the agreement on October 2 “focused on addressing the massive suffering and the general harsh socioeconomic consequences of the ill-conceived and ill-executed IMF-World Bank-induced hike in the price of PMS and the devaluation of the naira.

These dual policies “have had, as we predicted,” dire economic consequences for the masses and workers of Nigeria.

Part of the agreement was the implementation of an N35,000 wage award for civil servants, which was only paid for September and October 1023, meant to alleviate the suffering of workers and address the harsh economic conditions they faced.

The union lamented the huge hunger in the nation while lamenting the eroding of the purchasing power of Nigerian workers, adding that the government lacks ideas as to how to ameliorate the economic burden on citizens.

“It is regrettable that we are compelled to resort to such measures, but the persistent neglect of the welfare of citizens and Nigerian workers and the massive hardship leave us with no choice,” stated NLC and TUC.

The statement added, “Constrained by this development and recognising the urgency of the situation and the imperative of ensuring the protection and defence of the rights and dignity of Nigerian workers and citizens, the NLC and TUC hereby issue a stern ultimatum to the federal government to honour their part of the understanding within 14 days from tomorrow, the 9th day of February 2024.”