FG and Labor Unions Disagree Over Removal of Subsidy :
Nigeria’s labor unions and the federal government have not yet reached an agreement about the removal of the latter’s fuel subsidy.
On Wednesday night, the two parties met, but it was called off after they couldn’t come to an agreement.
On Monday, the federal government stated that the premium motor spirit (PMS), often known as gasoline, would no longer get a subsidy. Yesterday, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) announced an increase in the price at the pump.
The federal government delegations challenged the labor union representatives’ contention that the government must return to the previous pump price before negotiations can move forward at the meeting on Wednesday.
The unions were led by the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Joe Ajaero, and the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr Peter Osifo, while the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele; the CEO of NNPC, Mr Mele Kyari; former Governor of Edo State and NLC President, Mr Adams Oshiomhole; and Mr Dele Alake led the FG team to the table at the Presidential Villa.
The organized labor claimed that the government did not extensively engage with them before removing the subsidies and said that the decision was already causing workers across the nation great suffering.
They emphasized that before the removal can take into force, the government must put procedures in place to mitigate the effects of higher fuel prices.
President Bola Tinubu’s spokesman, Mr. Alake, talked to press shortly after the meeting and described it as productive, though he also revealed that the parties would meet again to continue their negotiations.
“We cannot go into any details [of the meeting] now because talks are still ongoing. We cannot finish everything in one sitting. So, we have adjourned now and will continue talks at a later date, very shortly.”
“But the point is that talks are ongoing, and it is always better for all sides to keep talking with a view to arriving at an amicable resolution that would be in the longer-term interest of all Nigerians; that is as much as we can say now,” Mr Alake said to newsmen.
