[ 2012-01-02 ]

Nigeria's Labour threatens mass protests
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade
Union Congress (TUC) have declared a showdown with
the Federal Government through mass protests and
strikes until the price of petrol is reversed to
N65 per litre.

The leadership of the labour movements in a joint
statement issued yesterday directed their state
councils to take steps to resist any price above
N65 per litre of PMS, and await a date for the
commencement of general strikes and mass protests
across the country.

Nigerians were also urged to begin mobilisation
for the commencement of the protests.

In the statement signed by the NLC's Acting
General Secretary, Comrade Owei Lakemfa, and his
TUC counterpart, Comrade John Kolawole, the
congresses said the action of the Presidency at
this period when Nigerians were mourning the
victims of recent bomb blasts showed
“insensitivity and callousness”.

The Federal Government was also accused of
thriving on falsehood as it had recently told
Nigerians that consultations were still going on
with various stakeholders including oganised
labour and if any fuel subsidy was being
contemplated, it would be with effect from April
1, 2012.

“We also have information that it intends to
make a litre of PMS N150.00 and then ask the NNPC
to reduce the price at its fuel stations by a few
naira. Nigerians must defeat whatever are the
schemes of this government,” the statement
read.

While expressing the readiness of organised labour
to engage in a long drawn battle, the statement
called on the National Assembly and governors to
side with the people over the matter.

The labour unions urged the police and other
security personnel not to accept any order to
shoot protesting Nigerians or attack them, noting
that there would be insistence that any officer
who does so will be brought to justice.

“We also put the Jonathan Presidency and its
surrogates on notice that we shall ensure that
they are prosecuted up to the International
Criminal Court if they, by acts of commission or
omission spill the blood of any Nigerian over the
protests that follow their inhuman acts against
the people,” the congresses warned.

The statement added that the leadership of the NLC
and TUC would jointly issue directives in the next
few days on the date the organised national
strikes, street demonstrations and mass protests
would commence.

President General of TUC, Comrade Peter Esele,
viewed the latest development as “a stab in the
back” by the Federal Government who only last
week entered into a dialogue with the organised
labour in a bid to forestall a looming anarchy.

He explained that the action of government was a
total declaration of war on the “poor masses who
are being punished by an inefficient system that
is anchored on few corrupt oil thieves who are
major sponsors and backers of government”.

He disclosed that the National Executive Council
(NEC) of TUC would meet in the next few days to
take a firm decision on the issue.

“The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC)
rejects without reservation the reported removal
of petroleum subsidy by the Federal Government as
announced by the Petroleum Products Pricing
Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) executive secretary
Reginald Stanley, which ushered in an anti-people
based price of N141 per litre. This is
unacceptable to us and to the Nigerian masses who
have been ambushed by a government they
expressively gave a popular mandate to represent
them some few months back.

“We are surprised that the government could
proceed to implement the removal without recourse
to the National Assembly who all available indices
indicate that they have not given it any
legislative backing neither was it mentioned in
the 2012 national budget.

“This action by President Goodluck Jonathan is
therefore dictatorial, undemocratic and a total
declaration of war on the poor masses of this
country who are being punished by an inefficient
system that is anchored on few corrupt oil thieves
who are major sponsors and backers of government.
This is why the government cannot muster enough
political will to arrest and prosecute them. What
we expect the Federal Government through the PPPRA
to do is to tackle the corruption in the system
first before this present action.

“For the avoidance of doubt, TUC insists that
until new refineries are built and the old or
existing ones are made to function optimally,
there cannot be a removal of petroleum subsidy.
Therefore, TUC on behalf of the Nigerian workers
and the masses have declared a dispute of interest
with the Federal Government,” he said.

Also, a civil society group, the Joint Action
Front (JAF), has called for civil disobedience to
force the Federal Government to rescind its
pronouncement.

The statement jointly signed by the group's
Chairman and Secretary, Dr. Dipo Fashina and
Comrade Abiodun Aremu, respectively, urged
Nigerians to turn up en-mass for the protest.

Source - Nigeria's Labour threatens mas

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