The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has said it is not the organiser of the planned nationwide hunger protest slated for August 1.
The union was reacting to rumors circulating that it had withdrawn from a national demonstration that the youngsters had organized.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, issued a statement on Wednesday advising the federal government and subnational governments to confront the economic crisis and pay attention to the cries of the starving Nigerian populace.
The statement entitled “The Nigeria Labour Congress cannot withdraw from a protest that it did not organise,” partly read:
“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 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 that can decide to pull out or continue with the protest.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress has internal trade union mechanisms especially leadership decision-making processes that its industrial actions such as protests pass through before such activities are undertaken.
“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 government.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress stands in solidarity with the Nigerian people in this very trying and excruciating times.
“Pursuant to proactive engagement with the issues canvassed by the protest organisers, we have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to invite the leaders of the protest movement to dialogue on their demands.
