The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and other sister bodies have rejected President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila move to set up a panel to negotiate cushioning policies on fuel subsidy removal.
They maintained that the panel lacks capacity to bring solutions to the controversy.
The National President of NLC, Joe Ajaero who said this at a meeting between the NLC and the leadership of the Senate, regretted that Tinubu wage award committee is yet to sit two months after the removal of fuel subsidy on Nigerians.
“Part of our challenge is the issue of the committee put in place, the committee seem not to be capable , as labor we have done with Negotiation and engagement with the government from the time of Ikaite, as SGF, kingibe, Pius Ayim and Boss Mustapha .
“At no time had the chief of Staff to the president who is very busy called to negotiate or lead negotiations.
“And that has delayed the issues , even since after our protest , another meeting have not reconvened , although president promised that he will restructure the mechanism of engagement with government to help things to be treated fast.We had agreed on wage award, and up till this moment the committee on wage award is yet to sit.”
He outlined the hardship endured by Nigerians due to fuel subsidy removal, as he lambasted the federal government for not putting measures in place to ameliorate the effect on the country.
Ajaero told the lawmakers that while Labour leaders were still deliberating on N537 per litre of fuel and that the court had ruled for status quo to remain, the government decided to increase the fuel to N620 per liter.
Speaking further , the NLC President said that $800 million intended to borrow to cushion effect of subsidy removal and you till now the Labour yet to get information about urging Federal government not to use the record that was used in the past by the previous administration.
“We should not follow the record that was used in 2019 because we’ve our doubts on that record.And no indices have been put forward to dictate those that are termed poor”
President of the Senate,God’swill Akpabio appreciated Organized Labour for their patience and understanding to assist government .
He told the trade unions that although the executive has saved N1 trillion as a result of fuel subsidy removal, but President Tinubu inherited a broke country with debt profile of over N30 trillion.
Akpabio assured the aggrieved Labour Unions of partnership and to approach the Executive to ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians.
