- Title: Nigerian union goes ahead with fuel protest strike
- Date: 18th May 2016
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) AIRPORT WORKER, SAYING: "When they were looting this country, where were you? Why did you not come and protest? When they were looting this country where were you? When the corruption were looting this country where were you? Nobody should deceive anybody here, they were supposed to come and so all this rally. I work at the airport here. This is not a rally. I work at the airport here. When they were looting this country were was NLC? Where was NLC and TUC." PROTESTERS STANDING VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS RESTING ON THE GROUND MAN SITTING IN WHEELCHAIR, RINGING A BELL
- Embargoed: 2nd June 2016 13:55
- Keywords: union strike oil price fuel increase court ban march
- Location: LAGOS, NIGERIA
- City: LAGOS, NIGERIA
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA0034IC56IV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Defying a court ban, hundreds of union activists launched a general strike and marched through the streets of the Nigerian commercial capital on Wednesday (May 18) in protest at a planned hefty increase in fuel prices.
Some 200 strikers faced armed police as they marched through Lagos, where some banks and many shops stayed open for business.
The government hopes lifting costly fuel subsidies, causing prices to rise by up to two thirds at the pumps, will help alleviate the worst crisis in decades in Africa's biggest economy.
A wave of strikes ensued the last time Nigeria tried to introduce a similar measure in 2012, and authorities eventually reinstated some subsidies.
This time around, the Nigerian Industrial Court blocked industrial action due to the risk of civil disorder, but late on Tuesday the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said it would go ahead with its planned indefinite strike anyway, starting on Wednesday.
A second union, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), abandoned its strike plans in response to the court ruling.
In Abuja, some 300 union activists gathered to stage a march.
A fall in oil prices has eaten into the foreign reserves of Nigeria, which relies on crude sales for around 70 percent of national income. The central bank has adopted a fixed exchange rate to protect further depletion of reserves.
Nigeria needs to import almost all of its fuel as its refineries are largely out of action after years of neglect and mismanagement. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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