Fuel Price Hike: NLC, TUC Suspends Planned Industrial Action

The Organized Labour union in Nigeria has suspended its planned industrial action scheduled to commence on Monday, September 28, 2020.

Making this disclosure after a meeting the Federal Government that ended at about some minutes to 3:00 am on Monday morning, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress revealed that the strike was suspended after an agreement was reached with the Federal Government.

At the meeting, the Federal Government team agreed to suspend the application of the new electricity tariff for two weeks.

READ ALSO: Fuel Price Hike: We'll Go Ahead With Strike If FG Fails To Meet Our Demands-NLC

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, read the five-page communique signed by the representatives of the government and labour.

The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba; and his Trade Union Congress counterpart, Quadri Olaleye, amongst others signed on behalf of Organised Labour while the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige; Minister of State Petroleum, Timipre Silva; Minister of State Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN); Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed; and the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and others, signed on behalf of the government.

Confirming the development on Monday morning, the president of TUC said the unions are suspending their planned action for two weeks

 “Definitely correct. We just left a press conference. We signed a document to suspend the action for two weeks for the government to implement those things that we agreed in the agreement. So, we are suspending for two weeks.

“We don’t need a notice again to re-convene if there is a need to do that,” He said.

Also, the unions and the Federal government team resolved to set up a technical committee that will comprise of NLC, TUC, Agencies, Department and Ministries, that would work to assess the justification and effectiveness of the new policy “in view of the need for the validation of the basis for the new cost-reflective tariff as a result of the conflicting information from the fields which appeared different from the data presented to justify the new policy by NERC; metering deployment, challenges, the timeline for massive rollout.”

Other members are Onoho’Omhen Ebhohimhen, Joe Ajaero (NLC), Chris Okonkwo (TUC) and a representative of electricity distribution companies.

The communique also indicated that the Federal Government gas devised means for palliatives that would reduce the sufferings that the Nigerian worker may encounter as a result of the electricity tariff hike and the deregulation and increase in fuel price.

It will be recalled that AllNews had on Sunday reported that the speaker of the House of Reps Femi Gbajabiamila expressed confidence that the strike action will be averted after his meeting with the Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

The organised labour union is requesting that the hike in the price of fuel and electricity tariff be reverted.