The organised labour may have succeeded in pushing the Federal Government into making desperate efforts to ensure that the planned nationwide strike billed to commence on Tuesday October 3, does not come through.
After the crucial meeting with organised labour on Sunday October 1, the Federal Government has announced extention of the N25,000 salary increase earlier given to “low grade” Federal workers for the next six months to all Federal workers.
That’s not all. The Federal Government also announced removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on diesel for the next six months, obviously to reduce the price of the product which is a major alternative to premium motor spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol.
While briefing newsmen on the outcome of the meeting with labour union delegates, which lasted for four hours, Chief of Staff to the Nigerian President, Femi Gbajabiamila said that the N25,000 provisional wage increment announced for low-grade workers for the next six months is now applicable to all levels of civil servants.
Speaking at the end of the four-hour meeting with the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) at the State House, Abuja, Gbajabiamila said the government team and the labour leaders have reached some resolutions.
“I am happy to say that after four hours, we have reached certain agreements that are for the benefit of the Nigerian worker,” he said.
“Agreements on wage bills, agreements on committees on salary increments, CNG buses, on several other things, I believe, both TUC Labour and government side.
“Hopefully, we expect that labour will call a meeting of their various branches and executive tomorrow to present the agreements that have been reached, and we pray and we believe and we hope that the strike will be called off on Tuesday.
“So I want to once again, thank labour for taking time out on a good Sunday like this one when they should be with their families to come and discuss in the interest of the workers. Thank you very much.”
Before the resolutions were reached the labour had rejected the N25,000 provisional wage increment for low-grade workers announced by the president.
Meanwhile, the organised labour is billed for an internal meeting on Monday to discuss the offers made by the Federal Government and take a decision on the planned strike.
While addressing journalists, Joe Ajaero, president of NLC, said the labour body would take all the promises by the government to its organs for consideration.
“I don’t have much to say than what the Chief of Staff has said. We’ve been meeting and we’ve looked at almost all the issues,” he said.
“All the promissory notes from the government and we’ll look at how to translate them to reality and to be workable.
“Then we’re going to take those promises to our organs, of course, you know these people here cannot just wake up and review and call off action.
“So like he said, we’re hopeful that our organs will have a look at them and give us a fresh mandate on what next to do. So it’s a simple one.”
Also, Tommy Etim Okon, acting president of TUC, said they would confer with their respective organs for the next line of action.
“Let me on behalf of the TUC also point out the fact that we’ve had a series of conversations surrounding the issue raised and we do hope that by tomorrow we are going to get across to our organs so that we can also look at it and cross-fertilize ideas and see the way forward,” Okon said.
“I’m sure we’re coming back again tomorrow for that.”
