By Abiola Olawale
The Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) has debunked reports in some sections of the media claiming that the union has withdrawn its participation from the planned nationwide protest against economic hardship scheduled for August
The NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero in a press statement issued on Wednesday said the union cannot withdraw from a protest that it did not organise.
Ajaero also clarified that the NLC has a structured decision-making process, which includes internal trade union mechanisms and leadership approval, that guides its industrial actions, such as protests.
The statement reads in part: “A news report of the withdrawal of the Nigeria Labour Congress from the widely discussed national protest has been brought to our attention. The Nigeria Labour Congress debunks such a story as patently false.
“The truth is that the Nigeria Labour Congress cannot withdraw from a protest that it did not organise. It is only the organisers of the speculated national protest can decide to pull out or continue with the protest.
“Yet, the fact that the Nigeria Labour Congress is not the body organising the protest does not mean that Organised Labour is oblivious of the dire living conditions Nigerians have been subjected to by the harsh economic policies of the government,” he clarified.
He added that the NLC is standing in solidarity with the Nigerian people in these “trying and excruciating times.”
Ajaero also called on President Bola Tinubu to invite the leaders of the protest movement to dialogue on their demands.
“Once again, we implore the Federal Government and the sub-national governments to listen to the cries of the Nigerian people and do the needful. After all, it is said that the voice of the people is the voice of God,” he said.
