Ignore FG’s “no work, no pay” threat – Labour unions tell workers

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By; Bayo Akamo, Ibadan.
The organized Labour unions in Oyo State Wednesday asked Nigerian workers to ignore the no work, no pay threat by the Federal Government to frustrate the on going mass protest against the hike in price of petroleum to N145 .
Also, the labour leaders urged market men and women as well as traders in the state to either stay indoor or be ready to join in the on going protest.
Addressing hundreds of the traders at Oje market during the Wednesday protest, Oyo State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Waheed Olojede said the organised labour will no longer tolerate a situation whereby the traders would be refusing to join others in the fight against the fuel price hike, saying the mass protest was not for civil servants only but for all particularly the poor masses.
Comrade Olojede declared that the time has come again for Nigerians to rise against anti masses policy such as the recent hike in price of petrol and banners having inscriptions such as “save us from this wicked people”, “not about Labour but national issue”, “enough is enough”, “save us from oppressors” among others.
“Today we have come to sensitize the people, and we are enjoining all of you to join this struggle. It is a struggle for emancipation of the oppressed masses of Nigeria. Governance is about bringing peace and comfort to the lives of the people. The Nigerians here today has agreed that nobody will do it for us except we do it by ourselves. We must be prepared to take our destinies in our hands. Let nobody chicken out,” he said.
Commenting on the no work, no pay order, he said it  was just a threat to discourage the workers from participating in the mass protest, saying both the workers that participated in the protest and those that did not will collect their salaries.
“Those of you who are here and those who went to work will collect their salaries, anyone who come here tomorrow will collect their salaries.”
Comrade Olojede stated that the organised labours are ready to continue the strike action until the government rescind its decision on the pump price, saying, “tell them, one is that the electricity charge should be reversed, the petrol price should be reversed, the other important one is for the governors in Nigeria, the legislative arm and at the federal and the states level, the ministers including the President to see to the plight of workers in Nigeria”.
“The position of the Nigerian people now as made by the labour leaders is that the Federal Government of Nigeria should go back to the drawing board to do a re-think and reverse the price of fuel from N145 to N86.50k”.
The protesters comprising of members of the NLC, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Joint Action Front (JAF), Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) protested along Agodi gate, Oje market, Beere, Agbeni market, Dugbe, Mokola and back to the Oyo state Government Secretariat chanting anti government songs condemning the hike that here will be no going back in the mass protest until government reversed the increment.

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