THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) is provoking Nigerian workers and the labour movement by its recent pronouncement on the issue of fuel price.
The congress has also resolved to write the Federal Government on the plight of Nigerian workers, the NLC concerns and the position of labour on the matter of fresh proposals by the NGF for an increase in the pump price of fuel.
President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba who spoke on the position taken by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the congress, described the proposal by the Nigeria Governors Forum for a 300 per cent increase in the price of petrol as the height of provocation, arbitrariness, detachment and insensitivity to the current economic realities in the country.
Besides, he said the proposal was an act of insensitivity to the extreme hardship that Nigerians especially workers are going through.
Specifically, Wabba stated that there was currently no negotiation with the government over fuel price increase, adding, however, that the last meeting with the government in February 2021 was adjourned.
“Since then, no other meeting has been called by the government. The congress therefore recalled and reiterated the decision it took on February 17, 2021, after the last meeting between labour and the Federal Government team on the fuel price increase.” Wabba said.
The NLC president said the congress would still stand by its decision taken at that meeting to reject further increases in the price of refined petroleum products particularly the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly called petrol.
He stated that the only sustainable way out of the crisis of fuel importation and associated dislocations in the downstream petroleum sub-sector was for government to rehabilitate all four public refineries in Nigeria and build new ones.
Wabba said, “any decision to increase by even one cent the price of refined petroleum products especially PMS will attract an immediate withdrawal of services by Nigerian workers all over the country without any further notice.”
He explained that the congress had resolved to write officially to the Federal Government to convey the plight of Nigerian workers, the concerns of the Congress and the resolutions of the NEC on the matter of fresh proposals for an increase in the pump price of fuel especially as informed by the stance of the Nigeria Governors Forum.
On the ongoing constitution review, he stated that the congress would defend the retention of the core labour issues of labour administration, the national minimum wage, pension and industrial relations in the exclusive legislative list of the Nigerian Constitution.
Also, the NLC president hinted that the congress would ensure that it promotes autonomy for local government, autonomy for the judiciary and autonomy for the state legislatures.
“The congress also resolved that issues including those canvassed in the foregoing and others that promote good governance and inclusive national development and as already captured in a published Memorandum submitted by representatives of the Congress.”
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