By Daniel Edu

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has reiterated its stance on the need for the Federal Government to meet its demands regarding the removal of fuel subsidies. As talks between the government and the organized labour resumed today (Monday), the NLC warned of a possible strike if their demands were not addressed.

The union expressed concerns over the high cost of fuel, which has placed a heavy burden on Nigerians. It emphasized the urgency for the government to take immediate action and provide palliatives. Additionally, the NLC stated that it anticipated an increase in the minimum wage from N30,000 to N150,000.

Previously, on June 5, 2023, the Federal Government and labour unions had met, agreeing to reconvene on June 19 to establish an implementation framework for the resolutions reached. Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to the President and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, had announced this after the meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Gbajabiamila had outlined the seven-point resolution that aimed to mitigate the impact of subsidy removal on Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) prices for Nigerians. The resolutions included the establishment of a joint committee comprising the Federal Government, the TUC, and the NLC to review wage increase proposals and implement a timeline, as well as the evaluation of the World Bank Financed Cash transfer scheme to potentially include low-income earners.

Furthermore, the resolution called for the revival of the CNG conversion program, previously agreed upon with Labour centers in 2021, with a detailed plan for implementation and timing.

Ahead of the meeting on Monday, Adewale Adeyanju, Vice President of the NLC, emphasized that labour had presented numerous demands to the government. Adeyanju stressed the need for refinery revamping to reduce the reliance on imported petroleum products and the constant need for subsidies.

When asked about the NLC’s course of action should the government fail to meet their demands, considering the challenges faced by Nigerians due to the subsidy removal, Adeyanju stated, “You know we only suspended our strike as a result of the need to meet on this.”