On Friday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) announced a two-day warning strike scheduled to commence on Tuesday, September 5. This decision comes as a result of the Federal Government's failure to address the challenges arising from the removal of the fuel subsidy.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu, in his inaugural speech, had declared the removal of the fuel subsidy, leading to a significant increase in petrol prices to N600 and a subsequent surge in the prices of essential goods.

To mitigate the impact of the subsidy removal, the President engaged with state governors to distribute relief measures, including N5 billion and foodstuffs.

On August 2, 2023, the organized labor, consisting of the NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC), and their affiliated unions, staged nationwide protests against what they deemed "anti-people" policies of the Tinubu administration. The protests took place in various states, including Lagos, Abia, Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Rivers, Zamfara, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kwara, Ogun, Imo, Ondo, and Edo.

The NLC had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government, demanding the immediate reversal of anti-poor policies, such as the fuel price hike, increased public school fees, and the release of eight months' withheld salaries of university lecturers and workers. They also called for an upward revision of the minimum wage from N30,000 to N200,000, arguing that since President Tinubu's announcement of the subsidy removal on May 29, 2023, the well-being of Nigerians had deteriorated.

Despite several meetings between the Presidency and the labor unions regarding relief measures for Nigerians affected by the petrol subsidy removal, no resolution has been reached.