Nigerian unions decided on Sunday to hold an indefinite general strike on Nov. 16 to protest against rising fuel prices in the world's eighth largest oil exporter. Originally expected to start this week, the action was postponed two weeks to avoid clashing with the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, said Adams Oshiomhole, president of the umbrella union body Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). "In deference to the Muslims, the foot soldiers, the strike is postponed to Nov. 16 and it's going to be indefinite on account of the bitterness and anguish of all Nigerians," he told reporters after a meeting of top union officials. Unions staged a four-day warning strike in mid-October to press the government to scrap a 20 percent hike in pump prices, but the government has only offered soft loans to public transport companies as a cushioning measure. The rise in fuel prices to 53 naira a litre (40 U.S. cents) was caused by the government reducing subsidies, a key part of its economic reform programme. Unions say it has further impoverished the majority of Nigerians, who live on less than a dollar a day. The most recent strike paralysed most businesses including public transport in the OPEC member nation, but its 2.3 million barrels per day of oil output and exports were unaffected. --More 2239 Local Time 1939 GMT
