Subsidy: TUC, FG to Meet Again Tuesday
The meeting between the Federal Government and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has been adjourned to Tuesday to allow for further consultations.
The meeting is the 2nd since the TUC threatened to embark on industrial action if the government refuses to stop the implementation of subsidy withdrawal.
Leader of the Federal Government negotiation team, Dele Alake told newsmen that the deliberation was fruitful but that the adoption of the agreement needed President Bola Tinubu’s consideration.
“This engagement has been very productive. The TUC that attended today presented a list of demands, and those demands, we have studied and we are going to present to Mr. President for his consideration. But those demands, we can announce to Nigerians that a lot of the items on the list are not impracticable”, he said.
Mr Alake maintained that government would need to study the weight of the demands presented and return to the meeting with it’s outcome.
On minimum wage, he said the President would set up a committee, comprising representatives of the Federal and State Governments, organised labour and the private sector, to study the dynamics of the wage increase, it’s percentages, the numbers, and the categories to be affected.
Explaining their stance at the meeting, the President of the TUC, Festus Osifo, stressed the need for the government to revert to status-quo while negotiation continued.
“Topmost in our demand was clearly stated that for utmost good faith, and in the interest of social dialogue that they should refer back the pump price while discussion continues”, the TUC President said.
He expressed the hope that TUC’s demands would be reviewed in the best interest of Nigerian workers.
By Abdullah Bello
