Following the decision of the Federal Government to remove the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol, with effect from June, the Trade Union Congress, (TUC), has directed its State councils and affiliates to commence mobilisation for industrial actions against the planned removal.
Recall that the union had insisted that the government must revitalise the refineries, establish new ones, including modular refineries, ensure effective policing of the nation’s borders to stem the smuggling of petroleum products, among other things.
These were the resolutions of the TUC National Executive Council, (NEC), meeting held in Abuja, yesterday.
The Congress insisted that the FG must fulfill the various conditions it earlier presented before stopping the policy.
Reading the communiqué issued after the meeting, the TUC President, Quadri Olaleye, said the proposal by the NEC on subsidy removal should take into consideration the attendant economic impact on the masses.
According to him, there must be assurances that refineries would be fully overhauled and the establishment of modular refineries encouraged.
While acknowledging the giant stride in rice production through various interventions by the Muhammadu Buhari administration, the NLC admonished the Government to ensure that the price of rice becomes affordable to justify the rice revolution policy of the administration.
The union further said the government must exhibit political will in its economic diversification programmes with a major focus on agricultural production.
The union said it was dismayed by the job loss and financial insolvency in some electricity distribution companies, stressing that the privatisation of the power sector should be reviewed since the contracts have expired, in order to ensure viability, job security and effectiveness of the sector.
