The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has dismissed rumours that it would back down from its planned statewide strike on Wednesday.

It stated that the strike would be called off only if the Federal Government and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited NNPCL did the necessary by returning to the status quo on the fuel subsidy removal issue.

The NLC proclaimed the position in a statement issued on Sunday by Benson Upah, Head of Information and Public Affairs.

The employees’ union was reacting to a Sunday story in a national daily.

The study was criticized as a ludicrous and desperate attempt by enemies of the people to polarize the Nigeria Labour Congress along ethnic or regional lines on a national subject.

According to Upah, “this scenario only plays in their imagination as Nigeria Labour Congress continues to be the biggest pan-Nigerian organisation united by a common vision/ mission and shared national values.”

“On the looming strike, we want to assure that all the affiliate unions of the Congress stand together with an unshakeable resolve to prosecute, come Wednesday, except the NNPC and Government do the needful.

“Whereas, primordial sentiments such as religion, region or ethnicity may be refuge for some, at the Nigeria Labour Congress, they have no place. What counts for us are issues such as the mindless and criminal increase in the pump price of pms whose burden will be borne by the already impoverished communities of the poor across Nigeria,” it stated.

NLC said the burden of the malevolent policy would not be borne by other segments of the country to the exclusion of the North or South-West, hence, there is no reason for those regions to back out of the strike.”

Recall that the President, Bola Tinubu had during his inaugural speech declared that the era of subsidy for petroleum products was gone, a development that has had ripple effect on the Nigerian polity since May 29, 2023.