Amid the economic hardships triggered by the removal of fuel subsidies, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the apparent lack of commitment from the Federal Government to address its demands.
Following an unsuccessful meeting with government officials on Monday, where both sides failed to reach an agreement to avert an indefinite strike, the NLC President Joe Ajaero spoke out about the government’s reluctance to address several critical issues during an appearance on Channels Television’s which was monitored by NIGERIAN ANCHOR.
Among the NLC’s key demands are the need to mitigate the consequences of petrol price hikes, review the minimum wage, establish a viable roadmap for the adoption of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as an alternative fuel, rehabilitate the country’s refineries, and settle lecturers’ salary arrears.
Ajaero expressed frustration, saying, “Even the issue as simple as cash transfer or bringing buses on the road, nothing has happened to them. So, it’s a lack of willingness, and we can’t muddle up all these issues. Then you call a minimum wage as wage award. If anybody is looking at the issue of wage award as minimum wage, then there’s confusion within that class of people.”
He referenced a 2021 agreement on CNG vehicles reached with the then Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, highlighting that it was evident a million vehicles could be converted to CNG within three months.
Ajaero criticized the Federal Government’s 2024 projection to deploy CNG buses for a more affordable mass transit system, questioning the delay, saying, “What is so peculiar about next year when these processes will start? Is it that there are no CNG vehicles that can hit the road, or we can’t have some stations, even with IPMAN saying that their filling stations are available?”
Ajaero also criticized the Federal Government for its failure to meet the union’s demands despite having over four months to do so. The NLC is now preparing for an indefinite strike due to the ongoing economic difficulties in the country.
“We agree that the Federal Government has had more than enough time for the past four months, and that even if there is a commitment, between now and the next four days, issues will be resolved,” Ajaero said.
“And we hope that the minister [Simon Lalong] will work with us within these next few days to make sure we resolve the problem.”
Regarding the possibility of resuming negotiations on Tuesday, Ajaero stated that if invited, the NLC would participate in the discussions.
