NLC reiterates position on fuel subsidy removal, says no going back on workers’ position on 2023 election
THE organised labour has reiterated its position to resist any attempt to remove subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit without full restoration of the refineries in the country.
It also reiterated its resolve to mobilise workers ahead of the 2023 general election to vote for candidates that are ready to implement economic and social policies that would promote members welfare…….Continue Reading
NLC’s position came just as the Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq, said that the current N30,000 national minimum wage was no longer a living wage due to the inflationary trend.
Both the governor and NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said this recently at the opening ceremony of the 18th edition of NLC Harmattan School taking place at Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Speaking on the contentious issue of removal of fuel subsidy by the government, Wabba said that the organised labour maintains its position and opposition to the removal of subsidy on imported petroleum products as such would multiply the hardship being faced by Nigerians.
Against the backdrop of re-emergence of long fuel queues in the country’s major cities, Wabba said that labour movement believes that the only way the fuel subsidy crisis can be addressed in a sustainable manner is for the government to fix local refineries and to accountably discuss the current subsidy regime.
“What do you even call a subsidy? Subsidy is inefficiency; our inefficiency or inability to refine products. That is what we call subsidy. If we are refining, we should not be talking about subsidy and why can’t we refine?
“We said we will not discuss anything subsidy. What they have told us is that the refineries will be fixed by 2023 and it will start production. So once we start production, we can now come to the table and see what you call subsidy,” he said.
