The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared that it would commence a nationwide strike on Wednesday, June 7, as part of a protest over the hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol.

The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made the declaration at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, June 2.

Ajaero gave the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) till Wednesday to return to the old price of N194 per litre or the NLC would direct its members to withdraw their services nationwide.

Rising from an extensive National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, Ajaero who told journalists the decision of the meeting with the major organs of the NLC, said the NNPCL on Wednesday, jerked up the pump prices of petrol by over 200 per cent, bringing the price of fuel to between N488 and N557 per litre.

He said: “The NLC decided that if by Wednesday next week the NNPCL, a private limited liability company, that illegally announced a price regime in the oil sector, refuses to announce revert itself for negotiation to continue, that the NLC and all its affiliates, will withdraw their services and commence protests nationwide until this is complied with.

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“The NNPCL doesn’t have the monopoly to act illegally even as a private company. The NLC NEC, therefore, directed all state councils and all industrial unions to commence mobilisation from this moment to make sure that this action is enforced. The action has commenced at this moment.”

The NPC President, who called for a probe of the subsidy regime, urged the NNPCL to ensure a proper account of the amount of petroleum products Nigerians consume daily.

Ajaero accused the NNPCL of refusing to disclose beneficiaries of subsidy and landing cost of petroleum products.

He added: “The Nigeria Labour Congress is calling for a thorough probe in the process of subsidy to know those involved and the amount involved. Investigate it properly before it is swept under the carpet.

“The current attempt to sweep the fraudulent practices in the subsidy regime should not be tolerated by all well-meaning Nigerians.”

It would be recalled that President Bola Tinubu at his inauguration as Nigeria’s President on May 29, declared that “fuel subsidy is gone”, a pronouncement which triggered a hike in the pump price of price and extended more economic hardship to Nigerians.

The pronouncement has however generated debates, with Labour insisting on the old pump price.

A meeting between the Federal Government and organised labour, on Wednesday, ended in a deadlock.

Both parties are however expected to resume negotiations on Sunday.

The Star