Nigeria Labour Congress, on Thursday, kicked against the proposal by the Nigerian Governors Forum for subsidy removal and increase in petrol pump prices to between N380 and N408 per litre.
NLC said the NGF’s recommendation was provocative, arbitrary and insensitive to the current economic realities in the country and the extreme hardship that Nigerians, especially workers have been going through.
It stated that any increase by even a kobo in the price of petroleum products, especially Premium Motor Spirit, “will attract an immediate withdrawal of services by Nigerian workers all over the country without any further notice.’’
A communiqué issued by the NLC National Executive Committee after its meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, said it resolved to write officially to the Federal Government about the plight and concerns of workers on the NGF proposals as well as its stance on the matter.
The statement jointly nsigned by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba and the acting General Secretary, Ismail Bello, and made available to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, stressed that Labour remained resolute about its decision taken at its meeting on February 17, 2021, to reject further increases in the prices of refined petroleum products.
NLC NEC also reiterated its decision that the only sustainable way out of the crisis of fuel importation and associated dislocations in the downstream petroleum subsector was for the government to rehabilitate all four public refineries in the country and build new ones.
It stated that there is currently no negotiation with the government over fuel price increase, adding that the last meeting with the government in February 2021 was adjourned indefinitely.
The NLC communiqué read, “The NEC-in-Session also viewed the proposal by the Nigeria Governors Forum for a three hundred 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.
“The NEC also noted that 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 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.”
Regarding the ongoing 1999 constitution review, NLC urged the National Assembly to retain labour administration, National Minimum Wage, pension and industrial relations in the Exclusive Legislative.
The communique added that the meeting described as successful the suspended industrial action and protests in Kaduna over the sacking of 45,000 workers by the state government.
It stated that it was open to engaging the Kaduna State Government on an amicable resolution of the situation in a manner consistent with the law, especially Section 20 of the Labour Act.