New Telegraph

Petrol hike: NLC, TUC missing, as Nigerians kick

Despite the outrage by Nigerians over the recent hike in Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol, organised labour has refused to comment over the matter three days after the hike.

The Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC)  had in a circular dated November 11, informed petrol marketers of the changes in wholesale price otherwise called ex-depot price at N168 – N170 per litre.

The price of petrol in the country has risen steadily from June; the price band rose from N121.50–N123.50 per litre in June to N140.80-N143.80 in July and N148-N150 in August.

In September pump prices rose further to N158 and N162 per litre. The recent ex-depot is projected to increase the pump price to about N170.

New Telegraph recalls that organised labour, comprising of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC),  had made a lot of noise in September when the pump price rose to N158 and N162, threatening to embark on strike on September 28 should government fail to revert the pump price.

 

Rejecting to the increase in fuel pump price, the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and the TUC Resident, Comrade Quadri Olaleye, had criticised government’s insensitivity to the plight of the citizenry, which they maintained was increasing the rate of poverty in the country.
They had warned that organised labour would not sit back and watch Nigerians continue to suffer.
However, after a series of marathon meetings with the Federal Government, labour had in the dying minute, chickened out despite mass mobilisation by all unions, to call off the strike on September 28, same day the strike was scheduled to hold.
This singular act has made Nigerians to lose faith on the unions who they alleged have been pocketed by government.

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