Abuja — The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that its members will commence a nationwide strike without any formal notice if the Federal Government approves another increase in the pump price of petrol without conclusion of ongoing negotiations.
The NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said this at the ongoing African Alliance of Trade Unions meeting in Abuja Monday.
Ajaero said that it is incumbent on the Federal Government to change "those bad economic policies that make workers wages next to nothing".
"As we're here now. They're contemplating on increasing the pump price of petroleum products. But the Minister of Labour for some time now, will only go to Minister of Justice to come up with injunction to hold the hands of labour not to respond. They have started floating ideas of a likely increase in the price of petroleum products.
"But let me say this. Nigerian workers will not give any strike notice. If we have not addressed the consequences of the last two increases of fuel pump price, and we wake up from sleep to hear that they have tampered with the fuel pump price again.
"I want to plead with government that those bad economic policies that make our wages next to nothing, should be checked. If you check those policies that lead to inflation, and devaluation of the currency, we will be comfortable even where we are. If naira is at par with dollar today, we will ask you to leave minimum wage at 30,000.
"If inflation is checked to zero, we will ask you to leave things the way they are. But inflation is flying, and by the admittance of the National Bureau of Statistics, we have over 133 million Nigerians that are multi dimensionally poor. I think these are the issues government should address. If we go for wage increase tomorrow, the inflation that will follow suit will destroy it," he said.
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Speaking on undue harassment of labour unions by the police, Ajaero said: "The Nigeria police, the Inspector General is now performing the duties of the Ministry of Labour. The duty of Ministry of Labour includes addressing the issue both inter and intra union disputes. It is not within the purview of the Inspector General of Police to go into that area. And I think there is need for the Ministry of Labour to educate the police to tell them that they don't have the right to usurp its functions. If they do that, the Ministry of Labour will go into extinction and there'll be no basis for Minister of Labour to remain there.
"We say it is illegal and we demand an apology from the IG of police for arresting or even contemplated to arrest the president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, for whatever reason, at the eve of the election.
"It is unheard of in the history of this country. And never again it should not be entertained. Nigeria police against Nigerian workers, we will not waste time too much to their offices. Let them use the same gun that was bought with the workers' tax tonight engage us?"
