Nigerian workers walk off job once again

Abuja: Workers from all sectors in Nigeria walked off their jobs on Tuesday to protest the growing cost of living caused by the government’s removal of gas subsidies, threatening to “shut down” Africa’s largest economy if the demands are not met.

The Nigeria Labour Congress workers’ association began a two-day “warning strike” on Tuesday, their second in over a month. They met last week and complained that the decision of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu to remove gas subsidies has “unleashed massive suffering on Nigerian workers and masses.” The govt, meanwhile, said a strike would worsen the condition of Nigerians and requested more time to find ways to resolve the dispute. “We cannot do this in an atmosphere devoid of industrial peace,” Labour Minister Simon Lalong said.