The emergency meeting of the National
Executive Committee of the Nigeria
Labour Congress on Friday took a
decision to embark on “total strike” on
Wednesday to protest the increase in the
fuel pump price from N86 and N86.50k to
N145 per litre by the Federal
Government.
The meeting, which was also attended by
all the major civil society organisations
based in Abuja, was chaired by the
President of the NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba.
The meeting, which was held at the
Olaitan Oyerinde Hall of the Labour
House, Abuja, started at about 4pm and
ended by 5:25 pm.

A senior labour leader, who confided in
one of our correspondents, said that
leaders of the NLC took a unanimous
decision to condemn the price increase
and mobilise workers for a nationwide
protest on Wednesday to prevail on the
government to reverse the action.
The source said that the NEC decided to
fix the planned action for Wednesday to
give a two-day period to the government
to reverse the increase which they
described as harsh and inimical to the
existence of the poor Nigerians.
However, the President of the NLC, Mr.
Ayuba Wabba, told journalists shortly
after the meeting that the decision of the
NEC would be made known at a press
conference on Saturday.
Wabba said the decision of the NEC would
be reconciled with that of the Trade Union
Congress.
He said, “Comrades, we have had our
meeting, but we cannot talk to you now.
We have a press briefing for tomorrow at
12noon. We will address the press jointly
with the TUC and our position will be
made known to the media and the
country.”
A source at the meeting said the decision
to embark on a nationwide strike was not
opposed by any of the labour leaders.
The source said that the unionists
expressed frustration that the President,
who they supported in the last general
elections, did not accord them the
expected respect.
The source said the members lamented
that the way the pump price was
increased without consultation with
labour showed that the government did
not have any regard for workers.
According to the source, members
recalled that in spite of the fact that a
former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala, provided the statistics and
other reasons for the increase, and the
former President Goodluck Jonathan
invited them to a dinner where he spoke
to them, the move was turned down.”
The source said, “We told you that the
meeting was going to be smooth and
short. The fact is that the people are not
happy.
“The NEC is even saddened by the way the
increase was announced; there is no
respect, no consultation. Look, this was
not the case in 2012 under Jonathan. I
remember on that night of the dinner,
Okonjo-Iweala did her presentation
showing us her statistics and the
President spoke to us. Yet in spite of that
we turned him down.
“But in this case, there is no regard for
anybody at all yet we worked for this
government.
“If you are insisting that the meeting was
stormy, how come that it did not last for a
long time? The fact is that after the
introduction which took some time, the
NEC tabled the issue and a decision was
taken unanimously to embark on a
national strike on Wednesday. It is a total
strike not a warning strike.”
TUC gives FG five days ultimatum
On its part, the Trade Union Congress of
Nigeria has issued a five-day ultimatum to
the Federal Government to meet with
labour on the increase in fuel price to
N145 or face industrial action.
While addressing journalists after its
National Executive Council meeting in
Lagos on Friday, the President of the
congress, Bobboi Kaigama, said the
congress had begun plans to protest
against the petrol price increase.
He stated that the TUC rejected the hike in
price of petrol from N86.5 to N145 per
litre and demanded revert in price.
Kaigama said, “The NEC-in session
rejected in its entirety the astronomical
increase in the price of petrol from N86.5
per litre to N145 per litre and demanded
that the government should revert to the
old price regime with immediate effect.
“The NEC-in-session gave the Federal
Government up till Wednesday, May 16,
2016, to invite the leadership of labour for
discussion aimed at determining the
appropriate way forward.
“The NEC-in-session also directed the
leadership of the TUC to interface with the
NLC and the civil society allies to work out
plans that would be put in place to protest
the insensitive fuel price hike should the
government fail to meet on Wednesday,
May 18, 2016.”
Speaking at the sidelines of the press
briefing, the TUC Deputy President, Mr.
Sunday Salako, said that labour was not
consulted before the fuel price increase
but was only informed of the
government’s decision at the meeting with
the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe
Kachikwu.
He said, “We were not consulted. If we
were consulted, we would have made our
input. If there is need for any deviation
from the old price, all stakeholders will sit
down and we will discuss to fashion a way
out.
“There is a difference between a meeting
and a briefing. What was done was a
briefing. You invite the people and sit
them down and read out what you have
prepared. Is that a meeting?”www.punchng.com/fuel-price-nlc-go-strike-wednesday/

I don't think we need this right now.

JBismarck:
I don't think we need this right now.

. But we need a fuel pump price increase frm #87 to #145 without due consultation.

Sunnymatey:
. But we need a fuel pump price increase frm #87 to #145 without due consultation.

He's one of the paid zombies