The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC and Commercial sex workers under the aegis of Self-Made Women of Substance, have vowed to embark on indefinite strike over recent hike in the pump price of petrol and increase in electricity tariff.

NLC on Monday said all is now ready for a nationwide protest over the refusal of the Federal Government to reverse recent increase in prices fuel and electricity tariff.

The Federal Government had recently hike the prices of fuel to N160 per litre, signifying full deregulation of fuel price regime which will now be controlled by forces of supply and demand at the international market.

The government also hiked electricity tariff by over 100 per cent.

A meeting between the Congress and government last Tuesday was deadlock as the government insisted that the hike in prices would remain.

But the NLC, on Tuesday after its National Executive Council meeting said the mother of all protest would kick-off on 28 September, 2020.

Ayuba Wabba, National President, NLC said there was no going back on the massive protest as the government had refused to accede to labour’s demand.

According to him, all Chairmen of NLC in the 36 states of the federation had agreed that the protest should go on to force the government to reverse the unwarranted hike.

Also, One of their leaders of Self-Made Women of Substance, identified as Uto Nwanyi, who claimed to be the patron, lamented that the effect of Coronavirus was still biting hard when the recent petrol and electricity tariff hikes was introduced thereby adding salt to injury.

“The issue of Coronavirus started in March this year, and lasted for four months. Throughout the period, our members went out of business; no patronage of any kind; none of our members was able to meet up with personal needs, she said.

“When we were yet to recover from the Coronavirus, the Federal Government came up with their pump price increment. Electricity companies also came up with tariff hike. This led to increase in house rent, transportation and general cost of living. The situation bites us more than it affects any other group in Nigeria. Therefore, we are of the opinion that the situation be reversed within seven days,” she continued.

Uto Nwanyi, flanked by another colleague, identified simply as Phina, said if concerned authorities did not act fast in bringing the prices down, they would be left with no other option than to mobilise for strike.

“If that is not done, we shall mobilise our members for indefinite strike from October 1. If our strike fails to achieve its purpose, we shall go back to work, and increase service charge to as much as 200 per cent. After COVID-19, we reduced our service charge to N1,500 for short-time and N5,000 for day break, but with this development, we shall also review our service charge.”