Fuel Price Hike: FG Labour Meeting Ends In Deadlock, TUC To Go Ahead With Industrial Action

A meeting between the Federal Government, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) ended in deadlock as the parties failed to reach an agreement on the issue of fuel Price hike and electricity tariff increment.

The meeting which lasted for 8 hours at the banquet hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, began at about  11 and ended around past  7 pm on Tuesday.

Demanding for a reversal in the recent increase in the price of fuel and electricity tariff, the organized labour faulted the Federal Government for increasing Fuel price and electricity tariff without dialoguing with the people.

Read Also: Fuel Price Hike: CNPP To Mobilize NLC, TUC For Industrial Action

Responding to the demands of the organized labour, the Federal Government stated that it could not continue to subsidize fuel.

Despite making presentation of its policies, the government team at the dialogue failed to specify how the impact of the hikes in electricity and petroleum products would be alleviated.

However, both parties agreed that the organized labour engages its executive council members in further consultation and return for a second leg of the meeting

The unions are expected to meet on Wednesday, September 16, to take a final decision on its position with regards to the issues raised during the meeting and revert to the government.

Representing the Federal government at the dialogue were the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige,  the Minister of State, Labour, Festus Keyamo; Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman; Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva and others.

The labour team present at the dialogue was led by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba;  President of the TUC, Quadri Olaleye, Secretary-General of the TUC, Musa Lawal, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria President, Festus Osifo and the President of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Association of Nigeria, Williams Akporeha, among others.

Speaking at the dialogue, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chirs Ngige said that there was a need for all stakeholders to jointly come up with a means through which the country will overcome the economic challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Ngige,  the  meeting was “a bilateral dialogue between us as Nigerians to consider the state of the economy and events that have necessitated recent increases in electricity tariff and the price of Premium Motor Spirit.”

In a related development, TUC on Tuesday said that it will go on with its nationwide protest and indefinite trike scheduled for Wednesday, September 23.

TUC had on Monday issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government to reverse to the former fuel price and electricity tariff.

It will be recalled that AllNews had earlier reported that the organized labour will be meeting with the Federal Government over the recent increase in electricity tariff and fuel price.

The meeting which was initially scheduled for Saturday was later moved to Tuesday.