NLC Warns FG Against Another Fuel Price Hike, Threatens Indefinite Strike

Posted by Samson Kankan Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Tuesday, August 15th, 2023

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that it will embark on a nationwide indefinite strike should the Federal Government allow another hike in the price of petrol amid the ongoing negotiations with the government.

The Federal Government-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has repeatedly increased pump prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), or petrol, since the May 29 declaration of President Bola Tinubu that “fuel subsidy is gone”.

From around N185, the prices skyrocketed to around N500, and again up to N617 last month.

The NLC sounded the warning on Monday during an address by its President, Joe Ajaero, delivered at the African Alliance of Trade Unions Executive Meeting in Abuja.

“As we’re here now, they’re contemplating increasing the pump price of petroleum products. And the Ministry of Labour, for some time now, will only go to the Ministry of Justice to come up with a so-called injunction to hold the hands of labour not to respond,” Ajaero said.

“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 it again — the prices.”

The meeting, which had in attendance Labour executives from Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and South Africa, also advised the ECOWAS leadership against the plan to deploy the military to the Niger Republic to restore the democratic order.