Organized Labour appears not ready to embark on strike to demand the reversal of the recent increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise called petrol from N160 per litre to N170 and the vexed issue of electricity tariffs even as union leaders accused the Federal Government of dishonesty for increasing pump prices in clear violation of agreements with the unions.
The Labour leaders under the aegis of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had walked out of a meeting with the Federal Government at the Banquet Hall of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa on Sunday, November 22 to protest government’s alleged insincerity.
The meeting ended in confusion when the labour leaders walked out of the parley in anger as the dialogue which was meant to take updates on the implementation of resolutions reached during the three previous meetings ended abruptly barely 10 minutes after it commenced.
While fielding questions during a press conference on Monday, Deputy President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, lamented that the government undercut negotiation with the hike in prices.
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“Since we knew there was going to be a meeting and we say status quo returns ante. We had an agreement with them for which we are still meeting. The committee on tariff and others are still meeting and then before we could do the next meeting, the government increased the pump prices.
“The best thing for that discussion to go ahead in good faith is for the government to return at the point we were before we continue discussion. That was exactly what happened yesterday and I don’t think that it is out of place. I think that the government should do the needful for us to continue.”
On the issue of strike, Ajaero said “The issue of whether we are going on strike immediately or not I don’t think we operate that way in the labour movement. Our strike was suspended based on certain understanding and those understanding were being violated and that was why we raised that alarm yesterday, which led to the walk out.
“We cannot call you out here to announce a strike and the next strategy as if the unions are one man organisation. Part of what we are doing in terms of engagement is to reach out and if every other means fails, strike is usually the last option by any unions. We don’t just at the slightest provocation start talking about strike. I think that is not what is on the table now. There are certain disagreements which we are trying to address.”
He also condemned the government for increasing fuel price and calling it deregulation, which is unacceptable to the labour movement. “We say that we can’t accept deregulation that is import-driven and that the refineries must work before you think of it and then you go into price fixing. Price fixing is not the same thing as deregulation, you cannot regulate in a deregulated market. If they have deregulated, the price of product in Sokoto will not be the same thing with that of Abuja, there will be variations. So, if they go into price fixing and call it deregulation, that is not acceptable to us,” he said.
Labour had shelved their strike billed for September 28, after signing a MoU with the government aimed at “fixing the existing refineries, entrusting them to efficient managements, creating and enabling environment for new refineries and doing all positive things that would ensure enhanced and sustainable local refining capacity.”
Furthermore, Government and Labour committee was set up to review the increase in the electricity tariff.
Also speaking during the conference, Secretary General of TUC, Musa Lawal Ozigi, said “nothing in the previous agreements has been implemented by the government before it suddenly slapped the nation with a new pump price increase.
“Nothing in the agreement gives government license to embark upon pain-inducing and life-crippling increase in the pump price of products at this difficult time,” he said adding that the decision put the Labour unions in dilemma with the people they represent.
“Indeed, the letter and spirit of the terms and conditions of the agreements presupposes that the contemplation of an increase or an increase would constitute a breach of the dialogue process. What we reasonably expected was that government would channel its creative energies to deepening stimulus to the appropriate secto
