The Organised Labour in the country yesterday said the panel set up by President Bola Tinubu which is led by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila who is expected to negotiate with the workers following the sudden removal of fuel subsidy, was incapable of handling the assignment.
The National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, stated this when he led the leadership of the Labour Union to visit the Senate leadership.
He told the Senator Godswill Akpabio-led Body of Senate Principal Officers that the Gbajabiamila-led panel had not met with the Organised Labour, two months after the removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria.
He said, “Part of our challenge is the issue of the committee put in place. The Committee seems not to be capable. As a labour union, we have had a series of negotiations to resolve industrial disputes with government officials in the past.
“At no time had the Chief of Staff to the President who is always very busy called to negotiate or lead negotiations.
“The current development has delayed the issues. Since our protest, another meeting has not been reconvened.
“Although the President promised that he will restructure the mechanism of engagement with government to help things to be treated fast, we have not seen any improvement. We had agreed on wage award, and up till this moment the committee on wage award is yet to sit.”
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The NLC President lamented the plight of Nigerians as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy without putting anything on the ground to ameliorate the effect in the country.
He told the senators that while Labour leaders were still deliberating on N537 per liter of fuel and Court had ruled for the status quo to remain, surprisingly the government decided to increase the fuel to N620 per litre.
The NLC President said that NLC had no information about the $800m loan the Federal Government wanted to borrow to cushion the effect of subsidy removal.
He nevertheless, urged the Federal Government not to use the record that was used in the past by the previous administration to disburse the funds.
Ajaero said, “Nothing is yet to happen on the issue of $800m projected to be borrowed, we have not perfected the list of the people who will benefit from it.
“We should not follow the record that was used in 2019 because we have our doubts about that record. No indices have been put forward to dictate those that are termed poor.”
The President of the Senate appreciated the organised Labour for its patience and understanding to assist government come up with strategies to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal.
He said, “Although the President has saved N1trn as a result of fuel subsidy removal, this government inherited a broke country with debt of over N30trn.
Akpabio however, assured the aggrieved Labour Union that the Executive was working hard to ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians.