By Appolos Christian
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to reverse the recent hiked fuel price or face a total shutdown of the country’s economy.
Rising from its Central Working Committee (CWC)meeting held in Abuja yesterday, NLC expressed disappointment that government decided to increase both the price of fuel and also electricity tariff at a time other countries across the world are giving palliatives to their citizens to cushion the effect of COVID-19.
Addressing the press, NLC president, Conrade Ayuba Wabba said, “The CWC identified that COVID-19 and also the socioeconomic situation of the country has given Nigerians enough suffering, and that the hike has reduced the purchasing power of Nigerians as well as Nigerian workers.
“Also, it has brought about high cost of goods and services and we saw that it has eroded completely the gains of the N30,000 minimum wage.
“The CWC and the NEC also took reports of the meeting that took place between federal government and organised labour where NLC was represented by 14 of its leaders and therefore revolves as follows:
“The Central Working Committee issued a two weeks ultimatum to the federal government to reverse the fuel price hike or face industrial action and peaceful Assembly.
“In furtherance to this, the The Central Working Committee resolved also to convene a meeting of the national executive council in line with our constitution, on the 22 of September 2020, Tuesday, to also give effect to this decision because the proposed action, will commence on Monday September 28, 2020, if those issues are not addressed.
“NLC Central Working Committee will also mobilise its members, our civil society allies and other social partners to try to resist these policies because it has driven many into poverty.
“This afternoon Central Working Committee members were sharing their aims and experiences arising from the exploitative nature of these policies where it is very evident even in some cases the N30,000 minimum wage cannot actually pay for the electricity.
“The experience we have here is that somebody actually loaded a credit of N30,000, it could not take him two weeks and this has been the experience all over the country. It is really a decision that is biting at every worker and every family and I think it is a decision that certainly requires reversion,”he added.
