The Nigeria Labour Congress has insisted that it would embark on indefinite strike today over the removal of fuel subsidy despite the appeal by President Goodluck Jonathan to it to shelve it.
Deputy President of the union, Comrade Joe Ajearo said there was nothing in Jonathan's recent speech than a mere broadcast of austerity measures he designed to add salt into the injuries of Nigerians following the withdrawal of fuel subsidy.
Ajearo,who spoke at a press conference in Lagos yesterday, said the union has resolved to shut down the nation's economy by 12am on Sunday since the President defied every human reason and despite the hues and cries of Nigerians on the increase in pump price of fuel.
He appealed to Nigerians to come out in large numbers to protest the unpopular withdrawal of the subsidy, even as he enjoined security forces to join in the struggle to defeat the ruling government on the policy.
Also speaking, first Deputy President of the NLC, Promise Adewusi, said the union is no longer negotiating with government and its agencies, saying none of the negotiations it had gave room to the reversal of the pump price of fuel to N65 per litre.
According to him, the House of Representatives emergency meeting yesterday would also not force the union to negotiate away the planned strike today "since doing so will tantamount to negotiating under duress."
He criticized the Jonathan government for toeing unpopular path following the adjustment of the pump price of fuel, adding that the 25 per cent cut on the salaries of government to mitigate the impact of the subsidy is a mere joke and would not add any meaningful value to the lives of Nigerians.
DailyTrust