NLC Says No To Further Fuel Increase

*Insists On Building Refineries, Resuscitating Old Ones

Following the proposal by the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) on fuel price increase, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on Thursday vowed to resist any attempt to further increase fuel price.

NLC threatened that a nationwide strike action would be embarked on should the Federal Government decides to consider the governors’ proposal.

In a communique issued at the end of its virtual meeting held at the Labour headquarters in Abuja, the NLC tasked FG to rather build new refineries, and rehabilitate the existing ones, to sustainably address the lingering crisis of continuous fuel price increase in the country.

“We still stand solidly by our decision taken at our NEC meeting which took place on 17th February 2021 to reject further increases in the price of refined petroleum products particularly the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). The only sustainable way out of the crisis of fuel importation and associated dislocations in the downstream petroleum sub-sector is for government to rehabilitate all four public refineries in Nigeria and build new ones.

“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; and we will officially write to the FG, conveying the plight of Nigerian workers, the concerns of 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,” the NLC stated.

On the review of the 1999 Constitution of the nation, the NLC charged the National Assembly to retain labour administration, National Minimum Wage, Pension and Industrial Relations in the Exclusive Legislative List of the constitution.

The communique, jointly signed by the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, and Comrade Ismail Bello, the Ag. General Secretary, accused the FG of excluding the union from the decision made on the last fuel increase.

According to the congress, there is currently no negotiation with the government over the fuel price increase.

“The NEC recalled that the last meeting with the government in February 2021 was adjourned sine die. Since then, no other meeting has been called by the government. The NEC recalled and reiterated the decision it took on 17th February 2021 after the last meeting between labour and the Federal Government team on fuel price increase.” it said.

The NEC also directed the full mobilization of workers at all the Zonal Public Hearings to lend weight to the demands and aspirations of Nigerian workers in the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution.