The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has declared support for the planned next Wednesday strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, following the refusal of the Federal Government to negotiate with stakeholders over the controversial and arbitrary increase in price of petrol by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company LTD.
The NLC president, Joe Ajaero had on Friday announced the strike action after a meeting between the government and NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC ended in deadlock.
Following President Tinubu’s declaration during his inauguration on May 29, 2023 that subsidy must go, the Group CEO of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari suddenly announce a price regime for PMS averaging N500 per liter, which filling stations nationwide immediately implemented.
As an oil energy driven economy, prices of goods and services have since skyrocketed, leaving inter states and intra state transportation beyond the rich of many Nigerians leaving on the minimum wage of N30,000.
National Secretary of the NUJ, Shuaibu Leman said on Saturday that the union took the decision after a meeting during which the President, Chris Isiguzo and National Treasurer, Bamidele Atunbi briefed the house on the decision of the NLC.
He said the meeting agreed that the sudden increase in price of pms has increase the suffering of millions of Nigerians and as such the union would support the position of the NLC to ask NNPCL to revert the increase, urging members to withdraw their services from Wednesday should the government fail to meet the demands of the NLC.
