TUC Threatens to Withdraw Members From Work Over Fuel Scarcity

BY JOHNMARK UKOKO

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has threatened to withdraw its members if the current fuel scarcity persists across the country.

National Treasurer of TUC, Mohammad Yunusa, who said this in an interview during the just concluded delegate conference of the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporation and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGO).

Yunusa, who is also the immediate past President General of the union, charged the Federal Government to identify and punish those causing the fuel scarcity.

“We will soon direct workers to stop going to work if the challenge of fuel scarcity across the country persists for the next few days.

“The Congress also demanded that President Muhammadu Bihari should act swiftly by identifying and punishing those who caused the scarcity that had brought untold hardship on Nigerians.

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“The union position is very clear. Those who caused this scarcity should be identified and punished very well. The position of SSASCGOC is that workers should stop going to work until there is enough fuel to take them to and from work.

“This is the way to do it. We are waiting for our centre to respond to our position, but our position in SSASCGOC is that there is no need to go to work and when there is regular supply of petroleum products, we will start work,” he said.

On the current strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), it urged the Federal Government to fulfill the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it signed with the union several years ago.

He noted that the major problem of unionism in Nigeria was the lack of constructive engagement with the government, adding: “ASUU has been talking about an agreement it reached with the Federal Government many years ago and up till now, government has not fulfilled the agreement.”