Nigeria's main labour union to strike over fuel subsidy removal

Tinubu, then in the opposition, was among those who opposed ending the subsidies. On Friday, the president said Nigeria needs to review its minimum wage policy to reflect the current position it finds itself in.

Nigeria's main labour union said on Friday it plans to go on strike from Wednesday to protest against a tripling of fuel prices in what would be the first big test for new President Bola Tinubu after he scrapped a costly fuel subsidy. The subsidy cost the government billions of dollars annually but was popular as it helped keep prices low in Africa's biggest oil producer. Tinubu had promised to end it during his election campaign.

The government hopes lifting the subsidy - which caused prices to rise to 557 naira per litre from 189 naira at the petrol pumps - will help alleviate a funding crisis. But Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) president Joe Ajaero, after an emergency meeting of the union's executive council in Abuja, said the price hike should be reversed.

"The Nigeria Labour Congress decided that if by Wednesday next week that NNPC, a private limited liability company that illegally announced a price regime in the oil sector, refuses to revert itself for negotiations to continue, that the Nigeria Labour Congress and all its affiliates will withdraw their services and commence protests nationwide until this is complied with," Ajaero said. In 2012, a wave of strikes ensued when Nigeria tried to introduce a similar measure, with authorities eventually reinstating some subsidies. Tinubu, then in the opposition, was among those who opposed ending the subsidies.

On Friday, the president said Nigeria needs to review its minimum wage policy to reflect the current position it finds itself in. Nigeria's minimun wage is 30,000 naira ($65). "We need to do some arithmetic and soul searching on the minimum wage," he told ruling party state governors at his offices in Abuja, adding that revenue collection should be strengthened.

($1 = 460.9200 naira) (Additional reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe in Abuja; Editing by Kirsten Donovan and Angus MacSwan)

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