BEVERLY HILLS, September 16, (THEWILL) – The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government two weeks to reverse the recent increase in electricity tariffs and fuel price. The decision was reached at the end of the National Administrative Council and Central Working Committee meetings of the Labour union in Abuja on Wednesday.
Briefing newsmen on the resolution of the meeting, NLC President, Ayuba Wabba said the ultimatum takes immediate effect, warning that at the end of its expiration on September 28, it would mobilise its members nationwide for civil unrest.
According to Wabba, “we met to discuss the twin-challenge of the increases in the electricity tariffs and pump price of petroleum products and clearly speaking, we have looked at particularly workers that earn wages. So, it was decided that we issue the statutory two weeks’ notice to the federal government to reverse those decisions and in our own case the NEC also has to sanction it if you want to undertake such actions”.
Wabba said the meeting looked at how the price increases have eroded the purchasing power of workers, and importantly, “how it has eroded the gains of the N30, 000 minimum wages, which many workers have not even earned. Many people are in pain now. The NLC’s position is that the government should put on hold the implementation of the new price increases on fuel and electricity tariff until it is able to address some of the basic issues bedevilling the power and electricity subsectors”, he said.
The NLC president said Nigerian workers who have lost their jobs and means of livelihoods due to COVID-19- imposed challenges are being forced to make further sacrifices through an unbearable increase in prices of fuel and electricity tariffs. He insisted that the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) should ensure that power sector firms, especially the distribution companies (Discos) improve on their efficiency.
It resolved to convene its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on September 22 to ratify the decision of the CWC on the 14-day strike notice.
Recall that the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had earlier threatened to mobilise for strike next week Wednesday if the Federal Government does not reverse the increases.
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The Federal Government had approved an increase in the price of petrol and granted the electricity distribution companies the approval to raise electricity tariffs.
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