TUC to FG: Don’t dictate — consult stakeholders on petrol subsidy

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) had asked the federal government to consult stakeholders before making any decision on the removal of the petrol subsidy.

On Monday, in his inaugural speech, President Bola Tinubu said the petrol subsidy regime was over.

In a statement by Festus Osifo and Nuhu Toro, president and secretary-general of TUC, the union urged the government to tarry a while on the issue.

The TUC asked the government “not to dictate on such a matter or engage in manipulating the outcome of such consultations”.

The union said it was ready to dialogue with the administration of President Bola Tinubu on the issue.

“We dare say that this is a very delicate issue that touches on the lives, if not very survival of, particularly the working people, hence ought to have been treated with the utmost caution,” the union said.

“Also, it should have been preceded by robust dialogue and consultation with representatives of the working people including professionals, market people, students and the poor masses.

“Accordingly, we hereby demand that President Tinubu should tarry a while, to give room for robust dialogue, consultation and stakeholders engagement, just as he opined in his speech, until all issues and questions – and there is a host of them – to ensure that they are amicably considered and resolved.

“Nigerian workers and indeed masses must not be made to suffer the inefficiency of successive governments.”

The union expressed concerns over the president’s failure to reveal his plans on how to tackle and address the issue of poor and unchecked deterioration in industrial relations, particularly in the education, health and judiciary sectors.

TUC noted that this often results in a prolonged strike and industrial actions with attendant adverse effects on society and the economy.

“A case in point is the current nationwide strike by the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU),” the union said.

“If there is anything for the administration to hurriedly address from day one in office, it’s the abysmal N30,000 minimum wage that has since been eroded by the problematic monetary and fiscal policies of the government.”

However, TUC said it was encouraged by the new government’s promise to engage in job creation, food security and end extreme poverty.

The union urged the government to engage organised labour, employers of labour, professional organisations and the informal sector.

“This is necessary so that these programmes will not become mere propaganda in which unverifiable statistics will be churned out periodically,” TUC said.

“Congress welcomes the promise to make electricity accessible and affordable to businesses and homes.

“It suggests that the Tinubu government begins by stopping the periodic arbitrary increases in the price of electricity imposed by the distribution companies while regulatory and consumer agencies look away.”