NIGERIA: Unstopable Labour strike looms over 3rd fuel pump price increase under Tinubu
By KEMI KASUMU
With the wind of possible fuel pump price increase under the two-month old government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu blowing across the space of Nigeria lately, leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) warns that it will embark on a indefinite nationwide strike, indefinitely, should it happen.
The NLC said this was what it will do should the Federal Government allow another hike in the price of petrol amid the ongoing negotiations with the government.
The DEFENDER reports that under the first 30 days of Tinubu Administration, price of petrol had been increased two times making this currently rumoured hike going to be the third under his two-month stay in office.
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.
