Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), yesterday, directed all its states organs to intensify mobilisation for next Thursday’s nationwide protest against the Federal Government proposed increase in the pump price of petrol.
In the same vein, NLC said its members should be ready to commence a total strike that would shut down the economy from February 1. It equally warned that the strike may come earlier should government go ahead with the announcement of the increase before February.
The NLC at its Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Lagos, yesterday, said reaction to government announcement’s removal of subsidy on petrol would be spontaneous. NLC Vice President, Lateef Oyelekan, said the CWC meeting, the first in the year, was to sensitise and prepare the workers for the action next week.
NLC, in December at its meetings in Abuja, had scheduled nationwide protests for January 27 and February 1, but with a clause that it would not wait till then should the announcement come before the scheduled dates.
The Federal Government late last year said it would remove fuel subsidy as from this year and that petrol may go to N340 per litre.
The labour centre in a communique released after the meeting and jointly signed by its president, Ayuba Wabba, and General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, vowed to reject and resist the planned increase, which it described as extremely insensitive to the acute hardship being experienced by Nigerian workers and people.
The NLC said in pursuant to its rejection and resistance of further increase in the price of petrol, it would organise protest rallies in all the 36 states of the federation on January 27, which would culminate in the submission of protest letters to all the 36 state governors.
“Subsequently, a national protest will take place on February 1, 2022 in Abuja,” it added.
The NLC charged government to promote local capacity to refine petroleum products for domestic use.
Trade Union Congress (TUC) also called its organ meetings for this weekend in Abuja.
A member of TUC, who is also the Secretary General of the Association of Senior Civil Servant of Nigeria (ASCSN), Bashir Alade Lawal, in an interview with Daily Sun, said labour would reply government with desired action.
Lamenting the plight of Nigeria workers amidst the galloping inflation, he said labour response would be spontaneous backed by necessary industrial apparatus within its disposal.
