Bimbola Oyesola

Organised Labour on Sunday walked out of a meeting with the Federal Government, saying the government is not prepared for a sincere and honest dialogue on finding a lasting solution to the issues of petroleum price increase and electricity tariffs.

Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, during a joint press briefing addressed by their respective general secretaries, Emmanuel Ugboaja and Musa Ozigi, said Labour, at the meeting, had prioritised as urgent, fuel increase before delving into palliatives issue.

“However, Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, did not think it was important.

All efforts to make him see reason failed. Given the tense situation and government’s manifest insensitivity, labour has no option other than a walk out,” the Labour union leaders said.

They said from the foregoing, it is clear government was not sincere about finding lasting solutions to the contentious issues.

“This is in spite of the patriotic understanding of labour which has drawn the flak of the public which think we are not doing enough to protect their interests on the issues of petroleum products and electricity tariffs.

“We are a credible pan-Nigerian organisation committed to protecting the interests of workers and the public. We have lost neither our focus nor resolve to act in furtherance of our members or the nation as a whole. We remain committed to this noble cause,” the organised labour leaders said.

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The two labour unions insisted they walked out of the meeting at State House due to government’s act of bad faith.

Labour recalled that following its notice to government to protest the increase in the pump price of petroleum products and electricity tariffs, government reached out to labour not to proceed on its nation-wide protest, that was slated for September 28, 2020.

“Terms and conditions for putting the protest on hold were clearly spelt out in a memorandum of understanding. The conditions include fixing the existing refineries, entrusting them to efficient managements, creating an enabling environment for new refineries, and doing all positive things that will ensure enhanced and sustainable local refining capacity,” It said.

It said a government/labour committee was setup to review the increase in electricity tariffs, noting that nothing in the agreement gives government license to embark upon pain-inducing and life-crippling increase in pump price of products at this difficult time.

“Indeed, the letter and spirit of the terms and conditions of the agreement presuppose that contemplation of an increase or an increase will constitute a breach of the dialogue process.

“What we reasonably expected was that government will channel its creative energies to deepening stimulus to the appropriate sectors of the economy to kickstart growth,” the union leaders said.

Labour said while the committee was still working, government had not taken any step to revitalise the local refineries and had flagrantly refused to discuss with the unions in the oil and gas sector as agreed.

It said government’s conduct was not only a violation of fundamental terms of its agreement with labour, it was in bad fait calculated to frustrate the process of an amicable resolution.