Nigeria’s main trade union, the NLC, said Saturday that it has rejected a government compromise on fuel price increases and would continue a general strike that has paralyzed the oil producing country.
But the Trade Union Congress, which spearheaded the walkout with the Nigeria Labor Congress, and its oil union affiliate, the Petroleum & Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, said it had suspended the strike because of its adverse effect on the country.
Almost a week of economic disruption and sometimes violent protestshas threatened oil production in the west African country still emerging from years of military rule. President Bush is scheduled to visit the country this week.
“The strike is still on,” Adams Oshiomhole, president of the NLC, said after a meeting of the union’s executive committee.
The strike had looked likely to end Friday, but unions said differences remained despite the government’s offer to compromise on raising fuel prices more than 50 percent.
