The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to proceed on a total, comprehensive and indefinite nationwide shutdown of the country if there is another increase in the pump price of petrol from the existing N617 per litre, which it describes as illegal.
This followed reports that the oil marketers have hinted of plans to increase the pump price of petrol from the present rate to between N680 per litre and N720 per litre in the coming weeks should the dollar continue to trade at between N910 and N950 per litre at the parallel market.
This disclosure is contained in a notification by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, at the African Trade Union alliance meeting on Monday, August 14, 2023, in Abuja.
This is coming barely 10 days after the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) suspended its nationwide protest and industrial action over the removal of fuel subsidy following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
Although the details appear quite unclear, organized labour is reported to have also warned the Federal Government against undermining the union’s demands.
What the NLC President is saying
- Ajaero said, “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.
- “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.
Forex crisis affecting petrol importation
Oil marketers hinted that dealers seeking to import Premium Motor Spirit otherwise known as petrol, were being forced to put the plans on hold due to the scarcity of foreign exchange to import the commodity.
The crisis in the foreign exchange market has worsened with the naira crashing to a record low of N955/$1 at the parallel market with the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window trading at N781.34/$1 as the liquidity crisis in the market worsens.
The oil dealers were reported to have said that the CBN’s I&E official for foreign exchange, which boasts of a lower exchange rate had remained illiquid and unable to provide the $25 million to $30 million required for the importation of petrol by dealers.
This, they said, had led to the suspension of petrol importation by dealers who were initially eager to import the commodity.
The organized labour had on August 4, 2023, suspended its nationwide protest and proposed an indefinite strike following a meeting with the President, Bola Tinubu.
NLC making empty threats as usual. This is the most useless NLC Nigeria has ever had.
Bad leadership for this country will not allow the poor breath sha!
Strike coming soon
Totally strike coming soon
NLC dog without teeth, obselete threat.
For me, all this mess comes down to government irresponsibility. You remove fuel subsidy, no problem; you also float the naira, no problem. But how about effectively playing your role of an unbiased umpire thru proper monitoring and swift detection and prosecution of bad actors in the system as well as within your own ranks, to ensure sanity and a level playing field for free market forces to prevail ?
NLC have fail us the workers but I have a believe that the workers Moses will come in one to save our life.