The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday, dared the Federal Government to effect a further review on the current fuel pump prices and face harsh consequences from the Nigerian public.
It threatened that its affiliate unions would commence strike immediately on the shortest notice from its headquarters.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero made the threat at African Alliance of Trade Unions meeting in Abuja, where he noted that the ongoing negotiations for palliatives must be put in place first.
Reacting to the advice of the Registrar of Trade Unions on how labour should conduct themselves as they carry out their responsibilities of protecting the interests of workers and Nigerians by extension, Ajaero, pleaded with the Federal government to change “those bad economic policies that make wages next to nothing.
“As we are here now. They’re contemplating on increasing the pump price of petroleum products. But the Minister of Labour for some time now, will only go to Minister of Justice to come up with injunction to hold the hands of labour not to respond. They have started floating ideas of a likely increase in the price of petroleum products.
“But let me say this. Nigerian workers will not give any strike notice. If we have not addressed the consequences of the last two increases of fuel pump price, and we wake up from sleep to hear that they have tampered with the fuel pump price again.”
Ajaero went on to say; “I want to plead with government that those bad economic policies that make our wages next to nothing, should be checked. If you check those policies that lead to inflation, and devaluation of the currency, we will be comfortable even where we are. If naira is at par with the dollar today, we will ask you to leave the minimum wage at 30,000.
“If inflation is checked to zero, we will ask you to leave things the way they are. But inflation is flying, and by the admittance of the National Bureau of Statistics, we have over 133 million Nigerians that are multidimensionally poor. I think these are the issues Government should address. If we go for wage increases tomorrow, the inflation that will follow suit will destroy it.”
He also said; “The Nigerian police, the IG is now performing the duties of the Ministry of Labour. The duty of Ministry of labour includes addressing both inter and intra union disputes. It is not within the purview of the Inspector General of Police to go into that area. And I think there is need for the Ministry of Labour to educate the police to tell them that they don’t have the right to usurp its functions. If they do that, the Ministry of Labour will go into extinction and there’ll be no basis for Minister of Labour to remain there.
“Go and collect your functions from the ministries of police and justice. Even when there is a dispute intra or inter, it is your function to refer such a dispute to NIC. As the Nigeria Labour Congress that relates with the Ministry of Labour so much.”
Recall that there had been speculations that oil marketers are warming up to effect further increases in the price of fuel in the coming days, hinging it on the forex differentials.
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