The organized labour has declared that the nationwide strike against petrol subsidy would proceed as planned.
The strike is scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
The unions, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) spoke after a meeting with government representatives at the presidential villa on Monday.
They expressed their scepticism about Bola Tinubu’s competence to regulate inflation and petrol prices following the unification of the exchange rate.
Joe Ajaero, the NLC’s president, confirmed that the workers will embark on a peaceful protest as planned.
This decision was made after a meeting with government representatives at the presidential villa on Monday.
He dismissed fears of the protest being hijacked by hoodlums.
Ajaero added that such incidents have never occurred in the history of workers’ protests.
Although he acknowledged the importance of ensuring the safety of protestors, he stated that it is ultimately the responsibility of the security agencies to do so.
As for Tinubu’s proposal to address inflation and the high cost of petrol through intervention in the exchange rate, Ajaero expressed scepticism about its effectiveness.
He raised concerns about the difficulty of exerting control given Nigeria’s reliance on imported energy and lack of comparative advantages.
Ajaero also pointed out the challenges faced by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) in resisting tariff increases.
He also mentioned the significant rise in the price of corn in rural areas.
Participants in Monday’s meeting included Ajaero, representatives from the TUC, and other delegates from the labour unions.
The attendees included Femi Gbajabiamila, the chief of staff to the president; Mele Kyari, group chief executive officer of NNPCL.
The meeting of the labour unions and government representatives was then adjourned till 12 noon on Tuesday.
