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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a stern warning that it will initiate an immediate nationwide strike without formal notice to the Federal Government if there is any further surge in the pump price of petrol.
NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, conveyed this message during the ongoing African Alliance of Trade Unions meeting in Abuja on August 14.
In response to guidance from the Registrar of Trade Unions on the conduct of labor’s responsibilities in safeguarding the interests of workers and Nigerians as a whole, Ajaero earnestly appealed to the Federal government to rectify “detrimental economic policies that have left our wages almost negligible.”
Ajaero emphasized, “As we gather here today, there are discussions underway regarding the potential escalation in petroleum product prices. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Labor, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, has consistently sought injunctions to restrain labor from reacting. They are currently entertaining notions of yet another petrol price increase.”
“However, let it be abundantly clear that Nigerian workers will not initiate a strike notice unless we have adequately addressed the aftermath of the previous two fuel price hikes. We will not idly stand by if we wake up one day to discover that the fuel pump price has been tampered with once more.”
Continuing his address, he further stated,
“I earnestly implore the government to review these detrimental economic policies that have eroded the value of our wages. By addressing the root causes of inflation and currency devaluation, we can achieve a level of comfort even within our existing conditions. If the Naira’s exchange rate was equivalent to the dollar today, we would advocate for maintaining the minimum wage at 30,000.
If we succeed in curbing inflation, we would recommend leaving the current status quo untouched. Unfortunately, inflation is spiraling out of control. As per the National Bureau of Statistics, over 133 million Nigerians are now grappling with multidimensional poverty. These are the pressing matters that demand the government’s attention. If we were to pursue a wage increase hastily, the subsequent inflationary surge would only undermine its worth.”
