Despite the reported withdrawal of its Northern and South-West chapters and criticisms in some quarters, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has vowed it is going ahead with its planned nationwide industrial action for Wednesday to protest the removal of subsidy on petrol.
In a statement on Sunday by Benson Upah, NLC’s Head of Information and Public Affairs, the Congress said all the affiliate unions of the NLC are united in their resolve to strike, except the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and Federal Government revert to the old pump price of petrol.
NLC was reacting to the report by an online medium (Not on METROWATCH), that some of its local branches and chapters have pulled out of the planned strike for Wednesday. Upah denied any division in the NLC, saying the news item “only plays in their imagination” of the newspaper.
The statement reads, “The lead story on the front page of ThisDay of Sunday, June 4th, 2023 entitled _NLC Divided as North, South-West Chapters May Shun Planned Strike, is a laughable and desperate attempt by enemies of the people to polarise Nigeria Labour Congress along ethnic or regional lines on an issue with a national spread.
“Happily, this scenario only plays in their imagination as Nigeria Labour Congress continues to be the biggest pan-Nigerian organisation united by a common vision/ mission and shared national values.
“On the looming strike action, we want to assure that all the affiliate unions of the Congress stand together with an unshakeable resolve to prosecute, come Wednesday, except the NNPC and Government do the needful.
“Whereas, primordial sentiments such as religion, region or ethnicity may be a refuge for some, at the Nigeria Labour Congress, they have no place. What counts for us are issues such as the mindless and criminal increase in the pump price of PMS whose burden will be borne by the already impoverished communities of the poor across Nigeria.
“The burden of this malevolent policy will not be borne by other segments of the country to the exclusion of the North or South- West. Thus, there is no reason for these regions to back out of the strike.
“We do not know from where ThisDay got their story. However, if this is their way of making up for the gaps in their relationship with the new entities in power, we would say, it is rather excessive!”
Backstory
During his inaugural speech at the Eagle Square in Abuja, on May 29, the President, Bola Tinubu declared that the era of subsidy payment on fuel has ended.
Tinubu had also disclosed that the 2023 budget did not make provision for fuel subsidy as such, further payment is no longer justifiable.
“The fuel subsidy is gone,” Tinubu had declared, adding that his government would instead channel funds into infrastructure and other areas to strengthen the economy.
The presidential pronouncement led to an instant return of fuel queues across the country, with Nigerians lamenting the sharp increase in the price of petrol at the various filling stations.
This development led to the resistance of the organised labour to what the workers described as Tinubu’s unilateral action.
However, the resistance was met with negative criticism especially from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) who accused the NLC of playing politics with the petrol subsidy removal and attempting to destabilise the newly inaugurated government with the planned strike.
