The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced a nationwide strike scheduled to begin next Wednesday. This decision comes in response to the prevailing fuel shortages across the country, which were triggered by President Bola Tinubu’s recent statement declaring the end of fuel subsidies.
The NLC made the announcement of the impending industrial action on Friday following a meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) held in Abuja. The strike is being organized in protest against the removal of fuel subsidies and the subsequent increase in petrol pump prices.
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) comprises Presidents, General Secretaries, and Treasurers of all affiliate unions under the NLC. It also includes State Chairpersons and Secretaries of the NLC State Councils, the Chairperson of the NLC Youth Committee, and members of the National Administrative Council (NAC).
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On Wednesday, SaharaReporters reported that a meeting between the federal government and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) regarding the removal of fuel subsidies concluded without reaching a consensus. The meeting took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja and commenced around 4 pm.
Representing the Federal Government were spokesperson Dele Alake, who speaks for Tinubu, and Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited. Additionally, Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole were also in attendance.
The Organised Labour was represented by Joe Ajaero, the NLC National President, and Festus Osifo, the President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).
Following hours of discussions with the Federal Government, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded that the government revert the fuel prices to their previous levels before resuming negotiations with the NLC. Joe Ajaero, the National President of the NLC, criticized the removal of fuel subsidies and emphasized the need to protect the Nigerian workforce while exploring alternative solutions.
The NLC expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s failure to engage in meaningful conversations about palliative measures for Nigerians, leading to the rejection of the latest announcement. The union stated its intention to reconvene with its members to determine the next course of action.
Dele Alake, in his comments, described the meeting as robust and expressed optimism that talks would continue. He expressed hope that the parties would reach a reasonable conclusion at their next scheduled meeting, as reported by Daily Trust.
Earlier, SaharaReporters had reported that the NLC called on the Tinubu-led federal government to immediately instruct the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to withdraw its “vexatious Pricing template.” This action was intended to allow for open discussions between the government and the NLC regarding the removal of subsidies.
President Tinubu had previously announced the end of fuel subsidies during his inaugural speech, which led to a resurgence of long queues at filling stations due to panic buying and hoarding by fuel dealers.
However, a few hours before the proposed meeting between the organized labor and government representatives, NNPCL released a list of adjusted pump prices for its mega stations across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
As per the recently released price list, the new pump prices for premium motor spirit (PMS) vary across different states in Nigeria. In Lagos State, the price stands at N488 per litre, while in Yobe and Borno states, it is N557 per litre. In Abuja, the capital city, the price is set at N537 per litre, and in Enugu, it is N520 per litre.
