The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to go on strike without notification if the current N617 per litre of pump price of petrol is increased again by marketers.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero issued the warning, yesterday, at the African Trade Union alliance meeting in Abuja.
He alleged plans to further increase the price of petrol, amid the suffering it was causing Nigerians, especially workers. “Inflation is flying, even by the admittance of the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, we have over 133 million Nigerians that are multidimensionally poor. I think we should address those issues. If we even go for a wage increase tomorrow, the inflation that would come up tomorrow would destroy it,” he said.
Ajaero queried rationale of government allowing further hike when citizens were yet to overcome effect of the current price increase on goods, transportaton and quality of life.
“As we are here now, they are contemplating increasing the pump price of petroleum products, and the Ministry of Labour for some time now would only go to the Ministry of Justice to come up with a so-called injunction to hold the hands of Labour not to respond. But let me say this, Nigerian workers will not give any notice if we have not addressed the consequences of the last two increases and we wake up from our sleep to hear that they have tampered with the prices again.”
The NLC leader said he gave the warning against the backdrop of speculations that stakeholders in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry “have started floating ideas of a likely increase in the pump price of petroleum products.
Also speaking, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa), Kwasi Adu Amankwach, said the alliance would keep an eye on Nigeria and aid the NLC in its fight.
Amankwach, who spoke at the event that had labour delegates from all over Africa, noted that Nigeria must be protected since anything that happens to it will have significant impact on the entire continent.
Meanwhile, NLC has condemned what it termed unwarranted interference by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun in the internal affairs of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), a prominent affiliate of the NLC.
NLC, in a statement, called for an end to the “harassment and intimidation of trade union leaders” by the police.
Ajaero highlighted the recent incident involving the detention of NURTW’s national officers who were to attend the executive meeting of the African Alliance of Trade Unions and had voluntarily responded to a police invitation.
The NLC asserted that this act was an attempt to disrupt a legitimate Trade Union Programme adding that they faced similar challenges in other states.
“The IGP should thread with caution and stop meddling in affairs that are clearly beyond the purview of his powers. If he receives a complaint against any trade union that is carrying out their legitimate duties, the norm is to refer such matters to the federal ministry of Labour who have the statutory powers to intervene or apprehend such matters for arbitration but not to begin to hunt the leaders with the intention to harass and intimidate or frighten them to submit to whatever their wishes may be. Some activities of the NURTW has also been shackled in other South West states of Oyo, Osun and Ondo despite the pronouncement of the courts to the contrary.”
Source: The Sun
