The Benue State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday said it was ready to participate in today’s nationwide industrial dispute declared by its national secretariat to protest against skyrocketing fuel prices and electricity tariff. NLC Chairman in the state, Godwin Anya, disclosed this in an exclusive telephone interview with New Telegraph in Makurdi, the state capital.
Anya said as part of measures to ensure that the strike was successfully, the NLC last week met and tasked industrial unions in the state to mobilise all members for the strike, which he said would commence by 12 midnight on Sunday.
He said the NLC team would as from 7a.m. go round the state capital to picket and shut down all government establishments to ensure total compliance. Anya said they were still anticipating a final directive from the union’s headquarters, where talks were said to be on-going with the Federal Government and NLC officials on the possibility of the strike still holding.
The NLC chairman, who described the high fuel pump price and electricity tariff as an attempt to impoverish Nigerians further, advised all workers in the state to come out in large numbers and join in the strike action.
He called on all workers as well as market women, commercial vehicle drivers, among others, to fully participate in the industrial action. “I advise all workers in the state, market women and others to go out of their offices and campaign against the increase in the price of fuel and electricity tariff, which is aimed at impoverishing Nigerians further.”
