The Campaign for Democratic Workers’ Rights (CDWR), has condemned the recent deregulation of the nation’s downstream sector, saying the development would give fuel marketers liberty to fix prices at their whims
Comrade Rufus Olusesan, National chairman of the group, who disclosed this in Lagos, also condemned the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) for aborting planned indefinite strike to protest hike in fuel price.
He said the acceptance of deregulation as well as the suspension of the indefinite strike and mass protest was not just capitulation of the labour leaders but a betrayal of their historical roles.
He added that by virtue of the agreement signed between labour leaders and the Federal Government, labour leaders have agreed to the inevitability of deregulation and consequently future price increases in the pump price of fuel.
He said the unjustified suspension of the general strike has further dented the already battered image of the organized labour and has weakened the trade union movement.
According to him, “Contrary to the impression created by labour leaders, there is nothing to celebrate in the agreement. The deregulation, which they have accepted means that prices of petroleum product can be increased at will to suit marketers’ greed and profit while electricity tariff would be suspended for two weeks only for it to be increased afterwards.
“The palliative programme is a ruse; why would labour leaders shamelessly agree to 133 buses, something that is not even enough for a local government? Labour leaders and government have forced Nigerian working masses to pass through this deceitful road many times and Nigerian working masses should reject it.
“The manner with which Ayuba Wabba, President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other top labour leaders suspended/called off the strike clearly show the monstrous bureaucracy that already exists and is deepened within the trade union movement. Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) condemns the undemocratic manner with which the strike was called off. Since the organs (CWC and NEC) of the two trade union centres (NLC and TUC) were convoked to give their nod to embark on the strike, it would have been more democratic to have returned to the same organs after the rank and file workers have been duly carried along.
A general strike is not tea party that can be called and called off as top labour leaders’ wishes; it has to be properly mobilized for including taking the agitation and debates to branches so that the rank and file workers will be able to participate in the decisions making process.”
