As immediate measures to cushion the impact of the rising petrol pump price nationwide, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Federal Government to ensure crude sale in Naira to local refineries.
Besides, it asked for wage relief for workers in view of the hardship imposed on them by the frequent and unpredictable surge in petrol price.
In a statement signed by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, on Wednesday, the union expressed concern over the worsening cost of petrol, saying the development was deepening poverty and putting further pressure on the living conditions of Nigerians.
It noted that petrol now sells for about N1,430 per litre in major urban centres, while prices are significantly higher in less accessible areas.
The Congress warned that rising transportation costs would inevitably trigger increases in the prices of food, school fees, rents and other essential goods and services.
It said the latest surge came at a time when government pressure on petroleum marketers to reduce pump prices in line with international crude oil prices was beginning to yield results.
Attributing the latest increase to the resurgence of conflict in the Gulf region, the labour body argued that Nigeria’s status as an oil-producing country meant it should have mechanisms to protect citizens from the effects of international oil market shocks.
It called on the Federal Government to immediately introduce reasonable wage awards for workers, make sufficient crude oil available to local refineries in naira and expand the country’s strategic petroleum storage capacity to strengthen energy security and respond to emergencies.
The NLC said the measures would not only cushion the impact of the crisis but also create jobs, generate economic value and help address emerging security challenges.
IT also backed government intervention in the petroleum sector, arguing that there was nothing wrong with subsidising essential needs of citizens, particularly during emergencies.
The union further claimed that the Federal Government was earning additional revenue from crude oil sales in the international spot market, estimated at between $35 and $40 per barrel above the budget benchmark.
It described the development as a windfall and urged the government to deploy part of the additional revenue to protect citizens from the effects of rising energy costs.
On the long-term outlook, the NLC expressed concern that local refineries were still importing crude oil, describing the situation as unreasonable and contrary to the rationale behind developing domestic refining capacity.
The labour body said the Federal Government should not allow petroleum marketers to impose additional hardship on Nigerians under the guise of deregulation.
“The government that seeks re-election in the next few months cannot afford to stand and watch marketers inflict suffering on the citizenry in the name of deregulation,” the NLC said.
It added that labour had a responsibility to speak out and take appropriate action where necessary to protect the interests of Nigerian workers and citizens.
