Organs of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, will meet next week to take decision on the next line of action over the recent increase in petrol pump price, President of NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero has revealed.
Recall that the NLC had told the Federal Government and relevant institutions responsible for the new price hike to immediately revert to the old pump price.
The NLC had contended that there was an agreement with President Bola Tinubu during the national minimum wage meeting with the organised labour at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Fielding questions during the Morning Show on Arise News on why he has not declared a strike after the new price hike, the NLC President said, “No NLC President will come out and say, we are going to start strike tomorrow or next tomorrow without the organs meeting. In instances, either the CWC (Central Working Committee) or the NEC (National Executive Council), so we are following that process.”
Asked whether the Congress has started consultations in house on that, he said, “By latest next week we should be able to meet and have conversation around this so that the personal view of the leader (NLC President), does not becloud the position of the of the members.”
Ajaero, explained that during the meeting on new Minimum wage with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, the organised labour turned down the offer of increase in petrol pump price to accept N70,000 as the new minimum wage.
Recall that the organised labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, had insisted on N250,000 as the new minimum wage but later settled for the offer of N70,000 from the President.
READ ALSO: Bad governance begins with rigging — Archbishop Ugorji
Shettima inaugurates National Road Safety Advisory Council, Pledges Safer Roads
BREAKING: FG grants permission to marketers to directly obtain PMS supply from Dangote refinery
On whether the President betrayed the trust of the NLC in the negotiations by increasing the petrol pump price despite the alleged ‘agreement’ with him, the NLC President said:
“I have to narrate the scenario to you, and then we now choose the appropriate word, whether betrayed, deceived or whatever. While we were discussing because we stalemated at 62,000 Naira, even the states were saying they won’t pay, so there was a stalemate that took us to Mr. President.
“And we insisted on 250 (Thousand Naira) and Mr President at the meeting, turned to me and said, Ajaero, you are the person holding my hand from increasing further.
“I said increase what? He said, since I said subsidy is gone, we should have gotten the appropriate price. We should have increased. I want to sponsor you people, labour, to travel to these West African countries and know how much they are paying.
“Some are paying 2,000 (Naira), 1,800 (Naira), 1,700 (Naira). As he announced it, we declined immediately that we are not going to take that sponsorship.
“He said, okay, I will go to my office for one hour. You guys decide if you agree for me to increase, I will pay you 250 (Thousand Naira), if not, you take this 62 (Thousand Naira).
“He stood up and we said, Mr. President, no, we can’t sit down here to decide in your office, we will take about one week to go back and discuss and get back to you, which was exactly what happened, ask anybody, and we adjourned for one week.
“He said, oh, I’m supposed to travel, but because of you, I will cancel my trip until after one week, and when we, reconvened, we were clear to Mr. President that we didn’t have any mandate to come here to discuss a price of a petroleum product or increase, we are only here to discuss minimum wage and minimum wage alone we are going to discuss. And we agreed on the basis of that we accepted 70,000 (Naira).