By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
To find a lasting solution to the fallout of the petrol subsidy removal announced by President Bola Tinubu in his inuagural speech last Monday, the federal government has concluded arrangement to constitute a tripartite committee to resolve all issues raised by the organised labour.
This is even as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) which had already announced it will commence a nationwide protest over the increase in petrol pump price
stayed away from the closed doors meeting between the federal government and the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) held in the Presidential Villa Abuja on Sunday evening.
Speaking to State House Correspondents after the meeting, Dele Alake who spoke on behalf of the federal government’s delegation including Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL); Senator George Akume and ex-governor of Edo state, Adams Oshiomohle, said that the meeting with TUC will reconvene on Tuesday.
According to him, both parties made appreciable progress on the discussions, pointing out that some of the demands of the organised labour are not impracticable hence they have agreed to postpone the meeting to Tuesday.
Said he: “Gentlemen, our meeting today was very fruitful. The most important thing is that we are making appreciateable progresses. We will close all those issues raised by the organised labour when we reconvene on Tuesday”.
Asked to give insight on what exactly was agreed on in the meeting by both parties, Alake said the issue of minimum wage as demanded by Labour will be looked into when the meeting reconvenes on Tuesday.
The former Lagos state Information Commissioner however revealed that the delegation will take back to President Tinubu what was discussed in the meeting for him to give his opinion on how best to resolve the matter amicably.
Asked why NLC was not in the meeting with TUC as was the case last week, he said: “we are making efforts to reach NLC; we all agreed to meet here but in this game there many dynamics and they may be meeting with their own executives”.
Meanwhile, the TUC President, Felix Osifo has said that the leadership of TUC attended the meeting because they were mandated by their Union to present their demands to government.
Asked if TUC and NLC are working at cross purposes, Osifo said both Unions are on the same page.
