A series of meetings between the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on one hand and those of the federal government, later state governors and most recently, the Speaker of the House of Representatives have failed to convince the labour leaders to suspend their planned strike over the hike in fuel price, beginning tommorrow (Monday).
Labour leaders met on Saturday with the chairman of the Nigeria Govenors’ Forum, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and in Sunday with Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House of Representatives but no agreements were reached to get them to call off the strike.
The leadership of the labour unions have also said they have not been served with an order of the National Industrial Court restraining them from embarking on the strike.
Gbajabiamila on Sunday asked labour leaders to suspend the strike to enable negotiations take place.
Ayuba Wabba, the NLC president, and Quadri Olaleye, the TUC president had given the federal government a two-week ultimatum to reverse both the hike in electricity tariff and the increase in the price of fuel. The ultimatum expires Monday.
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After their meeting with Gbajabiamila, Wabba said until the issues they had raised were addressed, the planned strike would go ahead tomorrow.
He said they told the speaker how the meeting with federal government went and how the meeting was adjourned, with the speaker promising to also intervene at his own level to see that more pains are not inflicted on Nigerians.
Wabba said, “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.”
He said, “There is a valid judgement of the federal high court stopping the tariff increase and that judgement is still subsisting.”
