By Francis Sadhere
Factional Delta State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), under the leadership of Comrade Williams Akporeha has lend its full support to the liberalization of the petroleum downstream sector while demanding the utilization of accrued subsidy claims to offset pension arrears and workers’ bonuses in all the states preparatory to the implementation of the new minimum wage.
Factional State NLC Chairman, Comrade Akporeha, who disclosed this at the end of the NLC State Executive Council (SEC) meeting, stated that while Congress is in support of the liberalization of the petroleum downstream sector in Nigeria, it is the responsibility of government to initiate measures to mitigate the impact of this action on the Nigerian worker.
According to Comrade Akporeha, “Congress advice that to immediately cushion the effect of the liberalization, funds that should have accrued for subsidy claims should promptly be deployed now to all the states to provide succour in form of bonuses to the workers, settle pension arrears as well as pay bonuses to the Nigeria Police as applicable.”
Comrade Akporeha further explained that the SEC meeting also strongly recommend that “while the bonuses will serve as immediate and temporary relief to workers, the Federal Government must move very quickly to consider increase in workers’ salary in terms of upward review of the minimum wage”.
On the present uncertainties trailing government’s announcement of liberalization of the petroleum downstream, Comrade Akporeha urged all workers in Delta state to remain calm and support all effort by Government and Congress in ensuring that the dynamics of liberalization of the downstream sector will eventually provide long term solution to the problem that has plagued the sector for a long time.
