Just In ! Fuel and Electricity Tariff Hike: NLC, TUC Stage Walkout on Labour

The NLC and TUC staged a stormy walkout on the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

This follows the recent fuel and electricity hike by government and having reached a stalemate with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).

The labour unions say that the government is taking the issues for granted and putting them at risk before the public.

Quadri Olaleye, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) said that they did not get into the meeting to discuss palliatives.

He said top on the issues they come in to discuss with the Government representatives le by the Ministers of Labour are concerning the recent hike in the prices of fuel and electricity.

Quadri accused the Federal Government of dishonesty, playing to the gallery and painting the organised labour in bad light before civil servants and Nigerians in general.

According to him, “This meeting is not going to be as usual. Why ? Because we have seen the insincerity of government and its putting us at risk.

“The are taking us for a ride which we cannot continue.

The TUC president regretted that they were still “in the process of discussing, for over three months now. And they made the announcement

“And no other person than NNPC. When has authority been given to NNPC to increase the price of PMS ? This is unacceptable !

“The meeting agenda is not well prioritised. And because of that, we are leaving the meeting.

“We will not continue, we will go back to our organ, and we are going to get back to you on the next line of action.”

In what appeared indeed like doing the labour unions a favour to consider discussing the fuel hike, Dr Chris Ngige said that “we felt that the item of PMS, having been listed at all as an additional item, would have satisfied everybody.”

The attitude obviously infuriated Labour who insist that “The meeting agenda is not well prioritised. And because of that, we are leaving the meeting.

“We will not continue, we will go back to our organ, and we are going to get back to you on the next line of action.”

NLC was represented by its Deputy President, Najeem Yasin.

Federal Government, on its part was represented by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo, Minster of State for Petroleum, Timiprye Sylva, Minister of State for Power, Goddy Agba and the Secretary to the Government, Boss Mustapha.