Organized Labour may be heading for a showdown with governors over its recommendation that the price of petrol be raised from N162/litre to N408.5/litre.
On Wednesday last week, a committee set up by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) pushed for the immediate removal of petrol subsidy and recommended that the product be sold between N380/litre and N408.5/litre.
But, arising from its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting yesterday, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) warned that any attempt by the government to increase the pump price of petroleum products would be met with stiff resistance.
The NEC meeting, which held virtually as most Labour leaders are at their various zones to attend the public hearing on the proposed constitution amendment, also deliberated on the crisis in Kaduna and the ongoing constitutional review.
Although the Federal Government has said the governors lacked the powers to fix the price of petrol, congress insisted that it would not accept any price increase.
A labour leader yesterday said Nigerians will resume its suspended strike of last year without notice.
The unionist said all the affiliate unions of the NLC have been put on notice if the government does otherwise.
According to him, Labour rejected the recommendation that petrol be raised to N212/litre on Easter by the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari.
He said: “We are not in support of petrol increase. All these governors, they don’t mean well for Nigeria. They have over 100 aides. They are stealing money every day; it is only the common masses they want to continue to inflict pains on. It is not fair.
“We don’t need to negotiate with the government or write them that we are coming to meet them because the last time we met before Easter, the GMD of the NNPC came that fuel will be N212 or N208 per liter because the landing cost was N198 and we told him to go back to the drawing board; to do as others are doing.
