The Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) has opposed the proposal by the Nigeria Governors Forum(NGF) that the price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, be raised from N162/litre to N408.5/litre.
The congress described the recommendation by the Governors as provocative, arbitrary, and insensitive to the current economic realities in the country and the extreme hardship that Nigerians, especially workers are going through.
The congress stated any increase by even one cent in the price of petroleum products, especially Premium Motor Spirit “will attract an immediate withdrawal of services by Nigerian workers all over the country without any further notice.’’
According to a communiqué by the National Executive Committee of the NLC after its meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, the congress resolved to write officially to the Federal Government about the plight and concerns of workers on the NGF proposals as well as its stance on the matter.
A committee set up by the NGF had last Wednesday called for immediate removal of petrol subsidy.
It recommended a petrol price of between and N380/litre and N408.5/litre.
But in a statement signed by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba; and the acting General Secretary, Ismail Bello reiterated that the congress still stands solidly by its decision taken at its meeting on February 17, 2021, to reject further increases in the price of refined petroleum products.
The NEC also re-echoed its decision the only sustainable way out of the crisis of fuel importation and associated dislocations in the downstream petroleum subsector was for the government to rehabilitate all four public refineries in the country and build new ones.
The NLC said there is no negotiation with the government over fuel price increase, adding the last meeting with the government in February 2021 was adjourned indefinitely.
The communiqué reads: “The NEC-in-Session also viewed the proposal by the Nigeria Governors Forum for a three hundred percent increase in the price of petrol as the height of provocation, arbitrariness, detachment, and insensitivity to the current economic realities in the country and the extreme hardship that Nigerians, especially workers are going through.
“The NEC also noted that there is currently no negotiation with 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 resolved that 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.”
