The Organised Labour says its nationwide strike to protest
the removal of petroleum subsidy will proceed as planned.
The strike is scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
The unions, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and
the Trade Union Congress (TUC), spoke after a meeting with government
representatives at the presidential villa on Monday.
The unions expressed doubt regarding the ability of
President Bola Tinubu to effectively control inflation and petrol price due to
the unification of the exchange rate.
Joe Ajaero, president of the NLC, said the plan for workers
to engage in a peaceful protest starting from Wednesday remains unchanged.
He dismissed fears of the protest being hijacked by
hoodlums, saying that such incidents have never occurred in the history of
workers’ protests.
He, however, emphasised that it is the responsibility of the
security agencies to ensure the safety of the demonstrators.
Regarding Tinubu’s plan to intervene in the exchange rate in
an attempt to address inflation and the high cost of petrol, Ajaero expressed
doubts about its effectiveness.
Given the reliance on imported energy and the absence of
comparative advantages, he questioned how control could be exerted.
Ajaero also highlighted the challenges faced by the Nigerian
Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in resisting tariff increases, as well
as the significant increase in the price of corn in rural areas.
Participants in Monday’s meeting included Ajaero,
representatives from the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and other delegates from
the labour unions.
On the government side, attendees included Femi
Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff to the president; Mele Kyari, group chief
executive officer of Nigerian National Petroleum company Limited (NNPCL); among
others.
The meeting of the labour unions and government
representatives was then adjourned till 12 noon on Tuesday.
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