· As All Meeting Yields No Result
· Police Set to Enforce Law, Orders
The Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and others have vowed to go ahead with its planed strike action over the increase in the electricity tariffs and fuel pump price, even after meeting with top government officials, Speaker House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila as well as other critical stakeholders in the system.
This remains the position of the labour leaders after a long deliberation between the Labour leaders and top Government dignitaries and other respected Stakeholders to convince the Labour to shelve the proposed strike for Monday, September 28.
Meanwhile, the two meetings earlier held by the government and the labour unions over the increase in the electricity tariffs and fuel pump price ended in a deadlock, with NLC and TUC insisting on the reversal of the price hikes.
Despite meeting with Femi Gbajabiamila, have refused to suspend their planned nationwide strike, the leaders of the unions had announced their readiness to stage protests and embark on a nationwide strike on Monday, September 28, 2020, if the government fails to revert the hikes.
Gbajabiamila had urged the labour leaders to suspend the industrial action.
But the President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, and his TUC counterpart Quadri Olaleye have decried the federal government’s reluctance to revert the price hikes in petroleum and electricity tariff.
Speaking after the meeting with Gbajabiamila on Saturday, Wabba said, “All the actions pronounced will be taken as the notice expires tomorrow”.
The NLC president commended the Speaker for intervening in the crisis between the workers and the government.
He said, “We also told him how the meeting with federal government went and how the meeting was adjourned and he has promised to also intervene at his own level to see that we don’t inflict more pains on Nigerians.
“In the course of the discussion, we have also realised that the house of representatives has done a lot on the issue including recommendations which they have shared mutually.”
Wabba also insisted that the organised labour has not received any court order stopping them from staging protests and embarking on strike action to press home their demands.
Meanwhile, Nigeria Police has said they will enforce the law should labour unions proceed on the planned protest and strike action
While responding to a question concerning the planned strike, the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba said, “What does the law say in this circumstance? We would enforce the law. That is the only thing I can say.”
As at the time of filing this story the meeting between Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Organized Labour is still on as the details will be updated.
