Petrol, Electricity Hike: Labour Caves To FG Pressure, Suspends Strike For Two Weeks

A powerful and influential negotiation team of the federal government have succeeded in convincing the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to suspend its planned nationwide industrial action for two weeks.

The strike was designed to prod the federal government to reverse its recent hike in electricity tariff and fuel pump price in the country.

Minister of State Labour and Employment, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN) announced the suspension of the strike via his twitter handle after a prolonged midnight horse trading between leadership of organised labour and the federal government team led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.

According to Keyemo, “FG & LABOUR reach agreement at 2:53am. Deregulation to stay as Govt rolls out palliatives for labour (details in 2 weeks); Electricity tariffs suspended by Govt for 2 weeks with a joint Committee headed by @fkeyamo to examine the justification for the new policy. Strike suspended!”.

BIGPEN reports that the resolution to put off the strike was reached in the early hours of Monday in Abuja after the parties agreed on certain conditions including suspension of electricity tariff reforms.

The parties agreed to set up a Technical Committee comprising Ministries, Departments, Agencies, NLC and TUC, which will work for a duration of two weeks effective from September 28.

The communique said: “The committee is to examine the justifications for the new policy in view of the need for the validation of the basis for the new cost reflective tariff.

“The technical committee membership included Mr Festus Keyamo, Minister of State Labour and Employment, as chairman, Mr Godwin Jedy-Agba, Minister of State Power, Mr James Momoh, Chairman National Electricity Regulatory Commission.

“Others were Mr Ahmad Rufai Zakari, SA to Mr President on Infrastructure, Dr Onoho’Omhen Ebhohimhen, Member, NLC, Mr Joe Ajaero NLC, Mr Chris Okonkwo, TUC and a representative of DISCOS.”

The labour unions had threatened to embark on industrial action over the Federal Government’s refusal to reverse the hike in electricity tariff and fuel pump price on Monday (today).

The removal of the subsidy had led to an increase in electricity tariff from about N30.23 to about N62.33 per kwh, while the price of petrol was increased from about N145 to about N161 per litre.