On strike we stand – NLC, TUC

On strike we stand – NLC, TUC

The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress have said that despite the resolutions of the House of Representatives on Sunday that it should suspend the nationwide strike scheduled to commence tomorrow and the reversal of the pertroleum pump price to N65, they were going to go ahead with the strike action.

NLC and TUC in a joint statement on Sunday commended the House of Representatives for its intervention in the face-off with the government, adding that the government should heed the call to slash the fuel price.

The statement was signed by the NLC Acting General Secretary, Owei Lakemfa; and the TUC Secretary General, John Kolawole.

The statement reads in full: The Labour Movement and its allies highly commend the Federal House of Representatives for its patriotic motion demanding that the Jonathan administration immediately suspends the astronomical increasing in the price of PMS (petrol).

This motion if adopted by the Executive will immediately douse the explosive tension in the country and restore it to its pre-January 1, 2012 normalcy.

We commend the House and its exemplary leadership for rising to the demands of the times, and in a bipartisan manner, seeking to steer the country away from a path that may have disastrous consequences.

The House of Representatives displayed exemplary leadership in not just cutting short its break, but also meeting on a Sunday.

 If other arms of governance work with the exemplary speed, seriousness, sensitivity and patriotic zeal as the House of Representatives did today; our country would be a far better place to live.

The Labour Movement calls on the Senate to also rise up to the expectations of Nigerians by concurring with the House motion.

We hope and pray that President Goodluck Jonathan will listen to the loud voice of the Nigerian people which this motion has further ventilated by immediately suspending the fuel price hikes and allowing dialogue and consultation on the issue of fuel subsidy removal.

The Strikes and Protests Must go on

The Labour Movement reiterates that the indefinite strikes, rallies and mass protests will commence across the country tomorrow Monday 9th January 2012. We ask Nigerians to disregard the disinformation by the Jonathan administration and its surrogates claiming that Labour has had a rethink on the strike.

We reiterate that the right to peaceful protest is a fundamental one which no institution or force can abridge.

The Labour Movement commends Nigerians in the diaspora for their support and continued protests.

We also commend the Nigerians in the United States who plan to protest tomorrow morning against the fuel price hikes in front of the World Bank headquarters in Washington. The Breton Wood Institutions which include the IMF and the World Bank will not be allowed to dictate anti-people policies such as fuel subsidy removal to the Nigerians.