On Tuesday, the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and their counterparts from the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) made a significant announcement to Nigerians, particularly the workforce.

They declared that the two prominent labor centers would unite to orchestrate a nationwide indefinite strike set to commence on October 3, 2023.

This unity marks a turning point after a period of discord and a lack of cohesion between the two entities. Their disagreements had been detrimental to the already suffering populace, especially the workers who were grappling with the consequences of the removal of fuel subsidy.

It is worth recalling that after the initial joint meeting between the NLC and TUC representatives and the Federal Government in June, subsequent discussions with the government were held separately.

While they did stage a joint nationwide protest on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, to denounce what they saw as the government's indifference to the plight of impoverished Nigerians, their relationship soured in the lead-up to the NLC's two-day warning strike scheduled for August 5 and 6, 2023.

Following a meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, leaders of the TUC were reportedly quoted in sections of the media as saying they had withdrawn their support for the impending strike. In response, NLC leaders dismissed these claims as baseless, emphasizing that TUC had not called for a strike in the first place. Essentially, they asserted that TUC could not retract from a strike they had not initiated.

Furthermore, the leaders of the TUC insisted that the government needed additional time to address their demands and provided a two-week ultimatum for this purpose. Conversely, NLC leaders conveyed to the Labor minister and his team that the government had until Friday, the expiration of NLC's 21-day ultimatum, to respond to their demands.

On September 1, while announcing the two-day warning strike, NLC had also given the government a 14-day and a 21-day notice to address their concerns or face an indefinite nationwide strike.

Unfortunately, the September 18 meeting between the NLC and the government concluded without an agreement, leaving the two parties at an impasse. During the talks that began around 2 pm, discussions persisted until 4:23 p.m., with no resolution in sight.

By Friday, September 22, NLC summoned an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) to convene on Tuesday, September 22. This meeting would ultimately determine the commencement date for an indefinite strike.

Sources reveal that the concerned elders and civil society allies initiated contact with the presidents and executives of both labor centers, stating the importance of unity if they aimed to advocate for the welfare of Nigeria's masses, especially the workers they represented.