NLC vows to ground economy over planned fuel price hike

The Nigeria Labour Congress says it will resist any attempt to increase the price of petrol with a declaration of a nationwide industrial action.

It said this in a communique jointly signed by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, and acting General Secretary, Ismail Bello, as the outcome of its latest National Executive Council meeting.

It said, NEC “resolved that any decision to increase by even one cent the price of refined petroleum products especially the PMS will attract an immediate withdrawal of services by Nigerian workers all over the country without any further notice.”

A committee set up by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum had last Wednesday called for immediate removal of petrol subsidy, recommending a petrol price of between and N380/litre and N408.5/litre.

The communique read in part, “The NEC-in-session also viewed the proposal by the Nigerian Governors Forum for a 300 per cent increase in the price of petrol as the height of provocation, arbitrariness, detachment and insensitivity to the current economic realities in the country and the extreme hardship that Nigerians especially workers are going through.

“NEC also noted that there is currently no negotiation with government over fuel price increase. NEC recalled that the last meeting with government in February 2021 was adjourned sine die. Since then, no other meeting has been called by government. The NEC recalled and reiterated the decision it took on 17th February 2021 after the last meeting between labour and the federal government team on fuel price increase.”

The NLC also commented on the recently concluded strike in Kaduna, stating, NEC resolved that in case the Kaduna State government remained adamant and recalcitrant or continued to pursue the path of war, threat and punitive actions against workers and their interests, that it had given the National Administrative Council (NAC) the power to reactivate the suspended industrial action in Kaduna State and also call for the withdrawal of services of all workers in Nigeria without any further notice.

It said the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, had continued with torrents of threats and innuendoes with other adversarial actions against labour leaders and workers.