Nigeria general strike enters second day

10 January 2012

Nigeria general strike enters second day

Commenting on the national strike in Nigeria which has now entered its second day and is still growing, ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) general secretary David Cockroft said: "Nigeria's unions are at the forefront of this strike, which is sweeping the country.”

“They are acting to defend a fuel subsidy which is the only thing they most Nigerians get out of a national oil industry riddled and rotted with corruption. The president's reckless removal of it doubled the cost of fuel and transport for ordinary Nigerians literally overnight.”

ITF African regional secretary Joe Katende added: “Nigeria’s unions, including its transport unions, are united behind this strike. The president’s removal of the subsidy was impossibly reckless, and blatantly ignored parliament’s advice to hold back, review and consult.”

He concluded: “Our member unions in Nigeria have confirmed that the strike is overwhelmingly supported and effective. To give just one example, our affiliated aviation unions have confirmed that the airports are paralysed and only one inward flight has been allowed to land, for humanitarian reasons.”

The ITF’s sister trade union ICEM (International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions), represents oil worker unions in Nigeria and has released a useful bulletin on the issues around the fuel subsidy removal. It can be seen at www.icem.org/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/4830-Nigerian-Oil-Workers-Unions-Strike-in-Fuel-Subsidy-Removals

ENDS

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