The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) expressed their disagreement with the organized labor strike, claiming it to be poorly timed and insincere.
According to Alhaji Tajudeen Badiru Agbede, the leader of the union, made this announcement following an emergency gathering with the state chairmen, secretaries, and treasurers in Abuja.
After careful consideration, NURTW members decided to withdraw from the proposed NLC strike due to its inconsistency with the ongoing economic situation.
He emphasized the hardships faced by their members and how participating in a strike would worsen their difficulties. He said that most of the union’s members are commercial drivers operating within the informal sector, relying solely on their daily earnings for sustenance.
He believed that engaging in a strike would severely impact their income and livelihood. Additionally, he said that many members have acquired their vehicles through hire-purchase agreements, which require regular repayments.
Any disruption caused by the strike would jeopardize these agreements and cause complications for their members, for which the companies, banks, or dealers involved will not take any excuse.
He appealed to the NLC, urging them to allow the government ample time to address the issues at hand. He said that a strike at this juncture would only further compound the problems faced by the transport workers.
Instead, he encouraged commercial drivers to continue with their usual operations and to report any attempts to coerce them into joining the strike to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
