300% Fuel Hike, NLC Vows To Cripple Economy Nationwide

…says no current negotiation with FG on price increase
…threatens to reactivate suspended Kaduna strike
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), has vowed to
ensure all services were withdrawn nationwide, should the
Federal Government proceed to effect the 300 percent
increase in fuel price, proposed by the Nigeria Governors
Forum (NGF). This came as the Congress warned that
further threats and punitive actions against workers by the
Kaduna State government, would lead to immediate
reactivation of its suspended strike in the state without
notice.
These were part of resolutions reached during a virtual
session by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the
NLC, as contained in a communique signed by its
President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the Acting General
Secretary, Comrade Ismail Bello, and made available to
newsmen on Thursday in Abuja. Frowning at what was
described as an astronomical hike in the price of refined
petroleum products by about three hundred percent, the
NLC said it was the height of provocation, arbitrariness,
detachment and insensitivity to the current economic
realities in the country and the extreme hardship that
Nigerians especially workers, were going through.
The communique reads in part: “There is currently no
negotiation with government over fuel price increase. The
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 reiterated that it still stands solidly by its
decision taken at its meeting which took place on 17th
February 2021 to reject further increases in the price of
refined petroleum products particularly the Premium Motor
Spirit (PMS); The NEC also reechoed its decision that the
only sustainable way out of the crisis of fuel importation
and associated dislocations in the downstream petroleum
sub sector is for government to rehabilitate all four public
refineries in Nigeria and build new ones; “The NEC
resolved that any decision to increase by even one cent
the price of refined petroleum products especially PMS
will attract an immediate withdrawal of services by
Nigerian workers all over the country without any further
notice; and “The NEC resolved to write officially to the
Federal Government of Nigeria conveying the plight of
Nigerian workers, the concerns of Congress and the
resolutions of the NEC on the matter of fresh proposals for
an increase in the pump price of fuel especially as
informed by the stance of the Nigeria Governors Forum.”
Commending the unprecedented solidarity by workers
nationwide during the Kaduna protest and strike, the NEC
observed the disposition of the Kaduna State Governor
remains cantankerous and anomalous to negotiation in
good faith.
“The NEC resolved to continue to keep its doors open for
dialogue and amicable resolution of the industrial crisis
occasioned by the insensitive and illegal mass sack of
workers by the Kaduna State government; and “The NEC
resolved that in case the Kaduna State government
remained adamant and recalcitrant or continues to pursue
the path of war, threat and punitive actions against work
ers 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.”
On Congress appearance and presentation of workers’
demands at the zonal public hearings on the constitutional
review, NEC re-echoed the resolve of Nigerian workers to
steadfastly defend the retention of the core labour issues
of labour administration, the national minimum wage,
pension and industrial relations in the exclusive legislative
list of the Nigerian Constitution, local government and
judicial autonomy, as well as autonomy for state
legislatures. “The NEC directed the full mobilisation of
workers at all the Zonal Public Hearings to lend weight to
the demands and aspirations of Nigerian workers in the
ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution.”