Against the backdrop of the fuel scarcity which is as a result of importation of substandard Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol, the National President, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Quadri Olaleye sad the union was monitoring and engaging with stakeholders over the situation.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Olaleye vowed that the union might be forced to take an “emergency decision” if the situation persists after the union’s consultation.
According to him, the union might proceed on industrial action or lead a protest over the matter.
He said, “At the moment, we are watching, we are monitoring and doing some engagements for us to be able to make emergency decisions. When labour takes an emergency decision, you know what it means? It is either strike or protest.
“You can see that even what they are using to investigate the man-made problem is part of the funds made for the Nigerian workers. So, we are monitoring and when it is time to take a decision we would.”
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Olaleye also revealed that the union had commenced a process of organising and mobilising workers and like-mind political actors for political alternatives to the leadership problems in Nigeria.
He said, “Having assessed our political trajectory as a country and the pains occasioned by policies of government at various levels, abuse and neglect of the country’s human and natural resources, threatening unemployment, insecurity, almost N40tn debt, devaluation of the naira, subsidy brouhaha, we have decided to play an active role in the 2023 General Elections.
“The fact that it is the political ruling class that take decisions affecting the socio-economic wellbeing of labour membership/workers is enough justification for the organised labour to get involved in politics. This is because there are very strong linkages between democracy, good governance and workers’ economic wellbeing.”
Olaleye emphasized that the union would organise a programme on how the organised labour in Nigeria could actively participate in the democratic process in the coming days and provide solutions to various perennial social-economic and political challenges in democratic governance.
