The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for the immediate reversal of latest price increase in pump of petrol across the country.
Mr Joe Ajaero, NLC President said this in a statement titled,”We feel betrayed”‘on Tuesday in Abuja.
It would be recalled that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPCL) had said that with effect from Sept. 3, the new pump price of PMS would be N897 per litre.
According to Ajaero, we are filled with a deep sense of betrayal as the federal government clandestinely increases the pump price of pms.
“We therefore demand the immediate reversal of the latest increase in the pump of pms across the country.
“Release of all those incarcerated or being prosecuted on the assumption of having participated in the recent protests.
“Halt the indiscriminate arrest and detention of citizens on trumped up charges.The reversal of the 250 per cent tariff hike in electricity;
“Stop to the hijack of the duties of the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The end to policies that engender hunger and insecurity and also halt to government’s culture of terror, fear and lying,”he said.
Ajaero explained that one of the reasons for accepting N70,000 as national minimum wage was the understanding that the pump price of pms would not be increased even as we knew that N70,000 was not sufficient.
He said that organised labour recalled vividly when Mr President gave them the “devil’s alternatives” to choose from: either N250,000 as minimum wage (subject to the rise of the pump price between N1,500 and N2,000) and N70,000 (at old pms rates).
“We opted for the latter because we could not bring ourselves to accept further punishment on Nigerians.
“But herce we are, barely one month after and with government yet to commence payment of the new national minimum wage, confronted by a reality we cannot explain.It is both traumatic and nightmarish.
“Yet, when we told government that it’s approach to resolving the fuel subsidy contradictions was patently faulty and would not last, it’s front row cheer leaders sneered at us, saying we did not understand basic economics .
“But if truth be told, this act of betrayal is consistent,”’he said.
He however recalled the assurances given to them by the leadership of the National Assembly on the 250 per cent tariff hike, was that it had been dealt with and there was no need to openly engage the Minister of Power who was at that meeting.
He added that instead of the promised reversal, the rate has since been jerked up further putting more Nigerians and businesses in jeopardy.
“We are guided by our belief in our country and the need to secure and sustain its sovereignty, integrity and welfare of the people.
:In the coming days, the appropriate organs of the Congress will be meeting to take appropriate decisions which will be made public,”he said.