NLC Threatens Indefinite Strike If Fuel Price Increases

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has promised to mobilize its members for a statewide indefinite strike if the current price of gasoline rises. This was expressed by NLC president Joe Ajaero on Monday at the African Trade Union Alliance meeting in Abuja.

Ajaero’s remarks came a day after oil marketers warned that the price of gasoline at the pump might jump to more than N700 per liter.

The marketers blamed the naira’s persistent devaluation versus the dollar, particularly in the parallel market. Currently, petrol costs N617 a liter in some regions of Nigeria and N577 in Lagos.

“As we are here they are contemplating increasing the pump price of petroleum products and the federal ministry of labor and employment, for some time now, will only go to the federal ministry of justice to come up with injunctions to hold the hands of labor not to respond.

“Let me say this, Nigerian workers will not give any notice if we wake up from our sleep to hear that they have tempered with prices of petroleum products.

“They have started floating ideas of a likely increase in the pump price of petroleum products,” Ajaero said.