NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday said it would embark on strike if there is a further increase in the pump price of petroleum without the Federal Government addressing the consequences of the last two increases.

Labour said no notice would be given if its members wake up to a new pump price of petroleum.

President of NLC Joe Ajaero said this during the African alliance of trade unions executives meeting in Abuja on Monday.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has increased the pump price of petrol since the removal of petrol subsidy twice.

Nigerians buy petrol products at N617 per litre, depending on the parts of the country.

Following the hike, organised labour staged a one-day protest nationwide to draw the attention of the government to the rising cost of living.

The protest was suspended following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu by labour.

There had been reports of a further increase in the products by independent marketers, citing the fall in the value of the Naira to a dollar at N950 in the parallel market.

Speaking on Monday, Ajaero said: “As we are here they are contemplating increasing the pump price of petroleum products and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, for some time now, will only go to the Federal Ministry of Justice to come up with injunctions to hold the hands of labour not to respond.

“Let me say this, Nigerian workers will not give any notice if we have not addressed the consequences of the last two increases; if we wake up from our sleep to hear that they have tempered with prices of petroleum products.

“They have started floating ideas of a likely increase in the pump price of petroleum products.”

Ajaero noted that if the Federal Government was able to tame inflation and the falling naira, workers would be happy to retain the N30,000 minimum wage.

The Nation