Nigerian unions on Monday backed away from a threatened general strike to protest rising fuel prices, saying that instead they would stage a series of mass rallies with opposition groups in the world's eighth-largest oil exporter, Reuters reported. Unions, whose strikes have failed to reverse past price increases, contended the new strategy would make their protest more effective. But analysts said it signalled the weakness of the union movement in Nigeria. "We have resolved that this time around we need far more comprehensive measures to deal not only with fuel prices but all the social, economic and political problems," union chief Adams Oshiomhole told reporters after a six-hour meeting. "The struggle has just begun. This time around we will not just look for quick-fix solutions." Oshiomhole last week announced that unions would stage a general strike over the price hike, and many Nigerians had expected him to set a date at Monday's meeting. Instead, demonstrations will begin in Lagos next week and culminate in the capital Abuja, after which the unions will hold another meeting on Oct. 3 to define the "final phase of the struggle," Oshiomhole said. --more 2303 Local Time 2003 GMT
