Nigeria faces general strike; unions warn oil exports to be halted

ABUJA (Thomson Financial) – Nigerian unions delayed the start of a general strike by two days but warned it could hit oil exports from Africa’s biggest producer.

Unions had given the government until midnight Sunday to reverse a doubling of value-added tax (VAT), a 15 pct hike in fuel prices and to review a decision to sell two state-owned oil refineries.


They also called for the implementation of a recent 15 pct wage increase.

Talks between unions and the government on the demands have stalled and the blue-collar Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the white-collar Trade Union Congress (TUC) ‘have ordered their members to begin an indefinite strike on Wednesday,’ NLC chief Abdulwaheed Omar told reporters after a labour meeting.

‘We are going for major action. We expect all our workers at the (oil) platforms, at the bases to abstain from work,’ TUC head Peter Esele said.

Forbes