. Says NLC, TUC are rotten
By Valentine Amanze, Online Editor
Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights (CDWR) has condemned the increase in petrol price from N162 to N170 per litre.
It also carpeted the hike in electricity tariff by over 100 percent, while demanding an end to government’s deregulation and privatisation policies.
Besides, it called for a public sector-led economy under the democratic control and management of workers and consumers.
In a statement signed by its National Chairperson, Comrade Rufus Olusesan, and National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Chinedu Bosah, the group lamented that the increament on the petrol price and the hike on electricity tariff would worsen the rising cost of living and deepen poverty.
“The rising cost of living in the last seven months alone has wiped out the N30,000 minimum wage, more so when some states are yet to implement the minimum wage, while the rightwing labour leaders feel unconcerned.
“Nigerian workers and the poor masses are groaning under the weight of anti-masses neo-liberal capitalist policies, there is increasingly mass suffering in the midst of abundance,” the group stated.
It lambasted the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) for acceptance of Deregulation and Privatisation policy of the Muhammadu Buhari-led Nigerian government.
It said that the Labour’s acceptance of the policy emboldened the Buhari regime and the capitalist ruling elite to increase prices and continue the attack on living conditions of the vast majority of workers and the poor masses.
It, however, pointed out: “These rightwing labour leaders will not be affected by these attacks because they are aristocrats whose living conditions are far and above that of rank and file workers.”
It further said that although, the Ayuba Wabba-led NLC and Olaleye-led TUC have issued a statement condemning the new hike in petrol price, “these are face-saving responses, they are only playing to the gallery; it is not new as the Congresses leadership do nothing beyond the issuance of press statements, workers and the poor masses read these statements with scorn and derision as NLC and TUC have become a joke and their leaders are seen as a bunch of betrayals.
“The fact is that officially agreeing and endorsing deregulation and privatization is a betrayal of the working class.”
It said that the official document that was released by labour and government on September 27, 2020, was clear that the rightwing labour leaders led by Ayuba Wabba and Olalekan Olaleye agreed to a rotten deal that accepted deregulation of the downstream oil sector in exchange for very ridiculous and insulting palliatives that will have no bearing on the living conditions of workers let alone the vast majority of the suffering masses.
It said that the palliatives Ayuba Wabba got as a result of futile negotiation was an indication of a leadership that had joined the dubious ruling elite to exploit workers.
It however appealed to workers and the poor masses to begin the struggle to defeat the deregulation of the oil sector and privatization of the power sector.
“Workers must also fight to rescue the trade unions from these rightwing reactionary trade union leaders, bring about a fighting leadership, restore democracy in the trade unions and use the unions to defend the rights and interests of workers and the poor masses,” it said.
CDWR also demanded the reversal of petrol price to N87 and electricity tariff to N13 kwh as a step towards bringing down the price further.
It stated: “We demand the turnaround of the existing four refineries and building of new ones. The oil and gas industry, power sector and other commanding heights of the economy should be nationalized under the management and control of workers and consumers to end this monumental exploitation, looting and suffering in the midst of plenty.