- NLC asked Tinubu to reverse the hiked price of petrol
- To embark on strike if Tinubu fails to yield to demands
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has issued to the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to reverse all perceived anti-poor policies, including the recent hike in the pump price of petrol, or face an indefinite nationwide strike from August 2.
Consequently, the NLC has directed all its affiliates and state councils to immediately begin mobilisation of workers and other Nigerians, including civil society allies, for a long-lasting strike and mass protests should the government fail to meet its demands.
It was gathered that the step was one of the decisions reached at NLC’s Central Working Committee, CWC, meeting held Tuesday, July 25, at Abuja Labour House.
This is coming days after the Trade Union Congress, TUC gave the federal government a two week ultimatum to reach agreement on negotiations or face workers protest.
Recall that the TUC had threatened that if after August 19, nothing tangible was concluded, it will be compelled to take further action to protect workers and the masses of the country from being subjected to unending hardship.
The TUC President, Comrade Festus Osifor said that the union was not happy that the negotiations have not proceeded with the anticipated speed, adding that the organised labour has summed up their demand under three key areas, including; deployment of alternative to the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) such as CNG, providing palliatives and reduction in cost of governance.
He said that technical committees have been set to look into various aspects of the demands by Labour, regretting that at the last meeting of the negotiating team last Thursday, not much has been achieved
According to him, “As at today we have formed technical committees on cash transfers, on intervention fund, on reduction of cost of governance, on energy and power (developing CNG as alternative to PMS) and fixing of refineries.
“We also have technical committees on education and health and Mass Transit”.
He said while some of the technical committees have been sitting others were yet to meet.
He said, “Our position is that government should fast track action and processes are concluded to ensure that the sufferings of Nigerians are ameliorated.”
The TUC President noted that the federal government had said that the negotiating team has maximum of two months to conclude all discussions so that implementation can commence and that it would not like a situation where the committee will sit for years.
He said, “Government gave a timeline of eight weeks, begining from June 19, and if you do your calculation, eight weeks is going to be end by August 19.
“So far we have stayed more than one month and we felt that we are not going at the speed we anticipated and we want the government to fast tract action to ensure that between now and next two weeks all the committees must have submitted their report so that the Presidential Steering Committee can conclude it’s work immediately because we cannot continue to blow big, big grammar while Nigerians are suffering and people are trekking long distances to work.”
The TUC president said the elected leaders will need to show example in view of the harsh economic conditions the country is facing presently.
He added that such example would be better seen in the way of reduction in cost governance and by having the members of the Executive and Legislature pruning the huge budget expended on their welfare.
Osifoh said that cutting the cost of governance is of paramount importance because government cannot continue to ask the workers and the battered masses to continuously tight their belt.
As a way to address the growing inflation and rising food prices, Osifoh advised that federal government should consider scrapping new excise duties imposed on goods.