Labour Unions and Government Consider Resolution Amid PMS Subsidy Dispute.
Abuja, Nigeria – Officials from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) are set to convene today to deliberate on the offers presented by the federal government following intensive discussions aimed at resolving the ongoing dispute arising from the removal of the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), according to information obtained by our correspondent last night.
The discussions, which took place during a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja yesterday, led to several key agreements. Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has granted approval for a provisional wage award of N35,000 to all treasury-paid federal government workers for a period of six months. This decision came after further consultations with the government delegation, which had engaged with the leadership of NLC and TUC on Sunday.
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Recall that during the meeting between both parties, the federal government had reaffirmed its commitment to expedite the deployment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses as a measure to alleviate the public transportation challenges arising from the removal of the PMS subsidy.
Additionally, the government pledged funding support for micro and small-scale enterprises, a VAT waiver on diesel for the next six months, and the payment of N75,000 to 15 million households for a three-month period from October to December 2023, at a rate of N25,000 per month. The ongoing issue between the Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos State was also addressed.
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However, the federal government emphasized that unresolved issues could only be effectively addressed when workers are actively engaged in their roles and not during a strike. Consequently, the NLC and TUC have agreed to consider the government’s offers, with the possibility of temporarily suspending the planned strike to facilitate further consultations regarding the implementation of the aforementioned resolutions.
After presiding over the meeting, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, stated that the discussions covered critical matters such as the wage bill, committees on salary increments, and the provision of CNG buses, among others. He announced that the wage bill would benefit all categories of workers, dispelling concerns raised on social media.
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Gbajabiamila remarked, “There was a lot of chatter on Twitter about the issue of low-income workers only falling into the category of the wage bill. They spotted that, and we communicated that to Mr. President, and he quickly said and agreed that all categories of workers will be given the wage bill. There’s nothing like low-income, mid-income, or high-income. I think that’s worthy of clarification tonight.”
He encouraged labour representatives to hold meetings with their respective branches and executives to present the agreements, expressing hope that the strike would be called off by Tuesday.
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NLC President Joe Ajaero echoed this sentiment, emphasizing substantial progress in the negotiations and the commitment to translate government promises into practical solutions for workers. Ajaero highlighted the necessity of consulting with their labour organizations and noted that the decision to call off the strike would require approval from the relevant labour bodies. He concurred with the hopeful outlook expressed by the chief of staff, describing the situation as straightforward.
