Four days after organised labour walked out on the Federal Government delegation, a rescheduled meeting held on Thursday at the Presidential Villa has ended without both parties reaching an agreement, forcing an adjournment to Monday, December 7.
The meeting which lasted about three hours could not deliberate further, because Organised Labour demanded an immediate reversal of the recent petrol pump price increase, before further deliberations.
The demand by Labour could not be immediately granted, even though the meeting went into sessions of consultations before being shifted.
Earlier at the opening of the meeting, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige had said the rescheduled meeting on Thursday was a continuation of the last one on Sunday, which was on recess, contrary to reports that talks broke down.
Ngige said the meeting is being reconvened to produce tangible result from past deliberations as he dismissed any form of witch-hunting.
Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, who has attended all the previous meetings, assured Organised Labour of the government’s commitment to ensure amicable resolution of pending issues.
Leaders of the Trade Union Congress, TUC and the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Quadri Olaleye, and Joe Ajaero in their opening remarks insisted that Organised Labour is always ready to discuss issues, but the approach of the government has left the matters unresolved.
While Olaleye insisted on clear communications from government and called for the media to be allowed to remain in the meeting from its start to finish, Ajaero criticised the late-night meetings which he said have consistently violated labour laws as he pushed for adequate compensation for the journalists covering the deliberations
The meeting among other things was also expected to deliberate on palliatives to cushion the effect of the increases in petrol pump price and electricity tariff.
Attendance included the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipreye Silva; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, and the Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jedi Agba.
Also Read: Again, Labour, FG meet over fuel price hike
One of the newcomers to the meeting was the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Faruk, who probably attended the meeting because of the aspect of palliatives.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
