The organised Labour has said it hasn’t yet adopted a nationwide strike as the next line of action in spite of the breakdown of dialogue between it and the Federal Government over the hike in the petrol pump price and electricity tariff.
The Deputy President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Joe Ajaero, disclosed this at a news conference jointly organised by the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Monday in Abuja.
Recall that the organised Labour on Sunday at a reconvened meeting with the Federal Government aimed at addressing the increase in the price of fuel and electricity tariff staged a walkout.
The meeting was necessitated by the recent increase of electricity tariff and pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, from N160 per litre to N170.
Ajaero explained that the Federal Government has violated the agreements reached with the Organised Labour, adding that the Congress will not at the slightest provocation start talking about strike.
“Our strike was suspended on September 28 based on certain understanding, and those understanding were being violated, and that was why we raised that alarm yesterday, which led to the walk out.
“We can’t call you out here to announce a strike and the next strategy as if the unions are one man organisation. Part of what we are doing in terms of engagement is to reach out, and if every other means fails, the strike is usually the last option by any union.
“We don’t just at the slightest provocation start talking about the strike. I think that is not what is on the table now. There are certain disagreements which we are trying to address.
“We say that we cannot accept deregulation that is import-driven and that the refineries must work before you think of it, and then you go into price-fixing.
“Price fixing is not the same thing as deregulation, you can’t regulate in a deregulated market. If they’ve deregulated, the price of the product in Sokoto will not be the same thing with that of Abuja, there will be variations,” it stated.
