FG continues dialogue with Wabba-led NLC

The Nigerian government and the Nigeria Labour Congress led by Ayubba Wabba, will meet on Wednesday to continue negotiations in terms of reversal of the pump price of petrol.

The Wabba led faction, last week, commenced a strike to protest the current petrol price of N145 per litre. In Lagos, and several other places, the call for residents to join in the strike hit a brick wall as most businesses and workers ignored the call and went on with work.

On May 22, after what the NLC termed “exhaustive deliberation”, it called off the strike and said continued deliberations with the government on the twin issues of hike in electricity tariff and fuel.

In a statement, Samuel Olowookere, the deputy director, press, of the ministry of labour and employment, said the meeting will hold by 2pm.

“The negotiation between the Federal Government and Comrade Ayuba Wabba-led NLC will reconvene tomorrow (Wednesdy) by 2:00 pm and the venue is the conference hall of Secretary to the Government of the Federation.”

In a similar development, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, suspended its planned strike after Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, and Ibe Kachikwu, the minister of state for petroleum resources, intervened.

The union was clamouring for the payment of debts owed to Joint Venture Partners in the Joint Venture Cash Call, (JVCC). The monies owed resulted in International Oil Companies (IOCs) threatening to sack Nigerian employees.

Intervening, Kachikwu said his ministry was restructuring the operational modalities of the JVCC because of low oil prices. He promised favourable results. Ngige, who hosted the meeting promised to deal with labour malpractices through the Oil Industry Stakeholders’s committee.

He said”recall that this committee was headed by the late Hon. Min. of State for Labour and Employment, Bar. James Ocholi but in view of the importance and the urgency of the committee, I will assume its full leadership in June to accelerate and bring its assignment to a fruitful completion, part of which is to generate some oil- labour regulations into laws for the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).”

Francis Johnson, president of PENGASSAN, said the union was satisfied with the position of government, and will shelve the planned strike with immediate effect.