NLC Boycotts Govt Meeting on Subsidy Removal, Fuel Price Hike

Abuja, Nigeria – The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has refused to attend a meeting organized by the Federal Government to discuss the removal of fuel subsidy and the subsequent increase in fuel pump prices across the country.

The union has insisted that it will not engage in dialogue with government representatives unless a legitimate team is appointed for negotiations. However, officials from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) attended the meeting, which was a follow-up to discussions held with the NLC at the Presidential Villa in Abuja last week, ending in a deadlock.

Meanwhile, electricity workers have threatened to join the strike and potentially cause a nationwide blackout in protest against the fuel subsidy removal implemented by the Bola Tinubu administration.

Hakeem Ambali, the National Treasurer of the NLC, confirmed the union’s decision to boycott the meeting, which aimed to discuss the removal of subsidy. The NLC had insisted during the meeting, attended by notable figures such as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Godwin Emefiele and Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited Mele Kyari, on the reversal of the fuel pump price, which ranged from N488 to N540.

Following the breakdown of talks, the NLC resolved at its National Executive Council meeting on Friday to commence a nationwide strike.

Joe Ajaero, the National President of the NLC, criticized the meeting, stating that it held no significance for the congress. Speaking on Arise television, Ajaero questioned the purpose of the meeting, as the government had failed to revert to the previous fuel pump price as requested by the NLC. He expressed frustration, stating that the government seemed uninterested in the position of the NLC regarding alternatives and subsidies.

The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has also threatened to join the strike, directing its members to withdraw their services nationwide in response to the sudden removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government. The NUEE, in a notice signed by its Acting General Secretary Dominic Igwebike, urged members to comply with the directive and stop work from the early hours of Wednesday.

As the Federal Government scrambles to avert the strike, various state chapters of the NLC have started mobilizing their members in preparation for the strike on Wednesday. Despite pleas from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State chapter of the union has endorsed the strike, expressing concerns about the impact of the sudden removal of subsidy on the masses. The Nasarawa, Bayelsa, Delta, Cross River, and Ondo state chapters of the NLC have also indicated their support for the strike.

The TUC’s involvement in the strike depends on the outcome of the national body’s meeting with the Federal Government. The Ekiti State chapter of the TUC has stated that its members have yet to be mandated to strike, as they are awaiting the response of the Federal Government to the demands of organized labor.

The Kano State chapter of the NLC will decide on Monday whether to join the strike and protests called by the national body of the union.