A four-day general strike in Nigeria ended on June 23, with the government conceding on most of the workers’
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The police arrested a number of labor leaders in hopes of crushing the strike. On June 21, 50 labor organizers were detained so they would not be able to mobilize workers in the transport and trade sectors. Nevertheless, unions and also artisans and even the self-employed participated in the strike. By the second day, at least 75 percent of the Nigerian labor force had already joined the strike.
The main demand was that a hike of about 15 percent in the price of fuel be reversed. The strike succeeded in cutting the price hike in half.
While fuel remains expensive for Nigerian workers, the United States and other imperialist countries continue to siphon away Nigeria’s vast oil resources.
