Joe Ajaero said this after an emergency meeting of the
union’s National Executive Council in Abuja.
He said the government and NNPC have till Wednesday next
week to revert the former price of petrol, failure of that would lead to
indefinite protest by the union.
This is as the Labour centre has directed all its affiliates
unions and state councils to commence mobilisation in case the government
through the NNPCL refuses to revert to the old pump price of PMS.
Briefing journalists after its extensive National Executive
Council, NEC, meeting in Abuja, President of NLC, Joe Ajaero noted with regret
that NNPCL on Wednesday jerked up the pump prices of PMS by over 200 per cent
bringing the price of fuel to between N488 and N557 per litre.
Ajaero said after an unanimous decision of all NLC
affiliates, unions were directed to commence mobilisation immediately ahead of
the planned nationwide protest.
According to him, “The NLC decided that if by Wednesday next
week the NNPCL, a private limited liability company, that illegally announced a
price regime in the oil sector, refuses to announce revert itself for negotiation
to continue, that the NLC and all its affiliates, will withdraw their services
and commence protests nationwide until this is complied with.
“The NNPCL doesn’t have the monopoly to act illegally even
as a private company. The NLC NEC therefore directed all state councils and all
industrial unions to commence mobilisation from this moment to make sure that
this action is enforced. The action has commenced at this moment.
He also called for a probe of the subsidy regime in the past
eight years, the amount paid on subsidy and the beneficiaries of the payment.
The labour leader also urged the NNPCL to ensure a proper
account of the amount of petroleum products Nigerians consume daily.
He accused the NNPCL of refusing to disclosed beneficiaries
of subsidy and landing cost of petroleum products.
He said: “The Nigeria Labour Congress is calling for a
thorough probe in the process of subsidy to know those involved and the amount
involved. Investigate it properly before it is swept under the carpet.
“The current attempt to sweep the fraudulent practices in
the subsidy regime should not be tolerated by all well-meaning Nigerians.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu after taking the oath of
office as the 16th President in his inaugural speech on May 29, announced that
fuel subsidy is gone.
The announcement has triggered hike in the fuel pump price
less than 24 hours after the announcement and it has also caused more economic
hardship to Nigerians.
The announcement has attracted the ire of the organised
labour.
A meeting with the federal government team and organised
labour on Wednesday ended in a deadlock.
Both parties are however expected to resume negotiations on
Sunday.
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