The Nigeria Labour Congress avoided a meeting scheduled by the Federal Government on Sunday to discuss the increase in fuel pump price as a result of the fuel subsidy removal insisting they will only meet with a legitimate team and not government officials.
The meeting which was a follow up to the talks held with the NLC at the Presidential Villa Abuja last week which ended in a deadlock was however attended by the Trade Union Congress.
At the earlier meeting held on Wednesday, which was attended by Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria; Mele Kyari, Managing Director of NNPC; Dele Alake and others, the NLC insisted on the reversal of the increased fuel pump price.
Following the outcome of the meeting, the congress resolved to embark on a nationwide strike at its NEC meeting held on Friday.
Confirming their decision to boycott the follow up meeting, the National Treasurer of the NLC, Hakeem Ambali who spoke to Punch on Sunday explained the NLC was invited to the meeting just like the TUC but the union did not attend because the government representatives do not have official mandate to negotiate for the president.
He said, “It was an adjourned meeting, a follow-up to the last one. However, the NLC insisted that we would be ready to negotiate with a team that has legitimacy and official mandate to negotiate for President Tinubu,”
In protest against the removal of the fuel subsidy, the electricity workers had also vowed to join the strike.
