The leadership of the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC) has the federal government bargaining committee deliberating on how to cushion the effect of the removal of the fuel subsidy is unable to consider the demands of Nigerian workers.
The federal government committee that negotiates with organized labor on how to mitigate the difficulties of removing the fuel subsidy is led by Mr. Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Organized workers said that Mr. Gbajabiamila refused to hold a bargaining meeting with them, a development that delayed the NLC’s demands.
NLC National Chairman Joe Ajaero made this known when he met with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and other senior Senate officials in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
Festus Osifus of the trade union congress (TUC) was also at the meeting.
The meeting comes six days after NLC members occupied the National Assembly compound to protest hardships inflicted on Nigerians as a result of the removal of oil subsidies.
They demanded that the federal government revoke the removal of the oil subsidy so they can have a meaningful life.
Ali Ndume, the Senate’s main whip, who addressed the protesting workers called for a seven-day ultimatum for the Senate to intervene in their demands.
In the meeting with Senate leaders, the NLC National president stressed that the Nigerian workers’ demands are being delayed because the president’s chief of staff refuses to create time for union leaders to deliberate on the demands.
“Part of our challenge is the issue of the established committee. The committee seems not to be able. As a workforce, we are done with the negotiation and compromise with the government since the time of Ikaite, such as SGF, kingibe, Pius Ayim and Boss Mustapha.
“At no time had the president’s chief of staff, who is too busy to negotiate or lead negotiations, called. And that has delayed the issues, even after our protest, another meeting has not been called again. Although the president promised that he will restructure the mechanism of engagement with the government to help get things dealt with quickly,” Ajaero said.
Ajaero (PHOTO CREDIT: The Guardian.ng
The labor leader also complained that the committee set up by Mr. Tinubu to deliberate on raising the minimum wage has yet to sit down and start its meetings.
“We had agreed to a salary award, and up to this point the salary award committee has not yet sat down,” he said.
palliative
Ajaero urged Senate leaders to monitor and encourage the federal government to distribute the N8,000 palliatives to the correct beneficiaries.
He also urged the government to create other data for the distribution of the palliative to the beneficiaries to attract more vulnerable households.
“There is still nothing to do on the issue of the $800 million that is projected to be loaned, we have not perfected the list of people who will benefit.
“We should not follow the record that was used in 2019 because we have our doubts about that record. And no indices have been presented to dictate what are called poor”.
The President of the Senate, while responding, thanked the leadership of organized labor for involving the Senate.
Mr. Akpabio promised that the Senate will intervene and that the federal government will comply with the demands of the Nigerian workers.
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