Subsidy: NLC Absent as FG, TUC Meet in Aso Rock

The federal government met with representatives of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja but the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, is absent.

The meeting, which kicked off at about 5 pm, is said to have been at the instance of the federal government and is expected to be discussing fallouts from the removal of fuel subsidy.

Recall that the Organised Labour, held a meeting with the government last Wednesday, but it ended in a deadlock.

It was reliably gathered that the NLC had insisted that government should revert to the old price of N195 for the Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, otherwise known as petrol before any meaningful negotiation can take place.

The NLC also claimed that there are no concrete measures in place to cushion the effect of the high price of petrol which is having an adverse affect on goods and services.

The federal government’s team is led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume. Others are the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefie; former Governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; and the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari.

Also in the meeting are the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Zacch Adedeji; Executive Vice President, Downstream, of the NNPCL, Yemi Adetunji; former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Dele Alake; Hon James Faleke, among others.

On the TUC side are seven members, led by their President, Mr Festus Osifo.