…as NLC, TUC reject new pricing template, threatens to back out talks if new pricing template’s not reversed
OSAS EMMANUEL
The Federal Government of Nigeria has opened talks with the organised labour on ways to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal in the country.
This is as the organised labour under the aegis of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and Trade Union Congress (TUC), has threatened to back out from the dialogue if the new fuel price template released by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), is not withdrawn.
The meeting which had in attendance President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, and that of Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo, as well as the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited NNPCL, Mele Kyari, and held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday, did not arrive at any resolutions, as it was adjourned to a later date.
Briefing State House Correspondents on behalf of the government after the meeting said “We have been deliberating on finding very amicable solutions to the issue at hand, to the queue and all of that and the increase in pump price.
“We had a very robust engagement. We cross-fertilized ideas, ideas flew from all sides, and there is one thing that is remarkable even from the Labour side, and that is Nigeria. We are all looking at the peace, progress, and stability of Nigeria. That is what is paramount.
“Of course, the NNPCL CEO is here, Mr Kyari, we can not go into details now because the talks are still ongoing. We can not finish everything in one setting, so we have adjourned now, we are continuing the talks at a later date very shortly.
“But the point is that the talks are ongoing and it always better for all sides to keep talking with a view to arriving at a very amicable resolution that will be in the longer term interest for all Nigerians. That is as much as we can say now.”
Recall that the TUC had accused the Tinubu led administration of taking a unilateral decision to remove subsidy, arguing that it was against the liberalisation policy of all stakeholders in the oil sector.
Earlier, the NLC in a statement issued in response to the new fuel price template had threatened to pull out of any dialogue with the Federal Government until the price template is withdrawn.
“The release of that template may not allow us to continue if nothing is been done to withdraw it so that the dialogue can continue unhindered. It is clear that the government is actually trying to scuttle the process.
“As it stands, the federal government has become fixated on their chosen course of action. Would this help this dialogue? It clearly will not.” Ajearo said in the statement
While describing it as vexatious, he said that the price template is an ambush against the working population and also runs against the spirit and principles of Social Dialogue which remains the best platform available for the resolution of all the issues arising out of the petroleum Down-stream sector.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Ajaero said “as far as we are concerned there was no consensus.”
He said that the principle of negotiation was for the government and the NNPCL to revert to status, saying “you don’t ask to negotiate under gun point.”
On the demands of the organised labour, Ajaero said, “We should go back to status quo, negotiate, think of the alternatives and all the effects and how many of the effects this action will have on the people if it is an action that must take off.”
He said that the subsidy provision has been made up to the end of June and rhetorically asked, “why is it now. Last administration made it up to end of June. Why can’t we respect the sanctity of even that law that provided that expenditure up to June.”
On the claim by the Federal Government that there is no money to continue with the subsidy, Ajaero flanked by the President of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Festus Osifo said, “what is the purpose of governance, is it the duty of NLC to raise funds for the government, collect tax, to sell crude at the international market when the price of crude is going high and the government that is a major importer of crude product is telling you there is no money.
“Other countries that are in the same scenario are eating fat.”
Asked whether it is realistic to continue with the payment of subsidy the NLC President said, “why do you keep on hampering on subsidy, what do you understand about subsidy, has anybody explained to you the meaning of subsidy, what did they say is subsidy?
“Is there any country even in the US there is subsidy on wheat product, is there any country that does not subsidise living of people even if it is by providing public transportation, those are the issues we are looking at.
“If you are a major producer of crude and you refine or carry the crude abroad and refine and bring it, definitely there will be difference in the price and that is what they are paying.
“If your father established a refinery and that refinery dies in your hand and you are now refining abroad, you ask yourself some questions. We have refineries in Kaduna, Sapele, Warri and Port Harcourt, why are they not functioning that we have to go and refine abroad, the transportation money, refining cost at international price or rate and bring it back here and the same government pays the difference in cost of what it is here and what is internationally, that is what they are telling you about .”
He wondered why the government should claim that it has deregulated the product and at the same time is fixing prices of the product.
Ajaero said in 2011 labour met with government and agreed on some principles including the repair of the refineries to start operation latest by December last year but nothing was done.
On his part, the TUC President, Festus Osifo, has said the actions of government two days after being sworn-in into power runs contrary to the promise made by President Tinubu that one of the hallmark of his administration is going to be dialogue and consultation.
“If you listen to the president during the inauguration at eagles square, he said one of the hallmark of this administration is going to be dialogue, is going to be consultation, that they are not going to lord it over us. I trying to paraphrase what he said, is that he is not going to be a dictator. And what has happened in terms of days has not shown what was written in his address.
“So, all we said before now was that we ought to have sat down and have this conversation before anything could have happened.
“We have been open to conversations, and we started it in 2020 up to 2021, up to part of 2022. But at the end of the day, they told us that they were not removing subsidy.
“So, there was no conversation whatsoever, so for over a year, there wasn’t formal engagements and formal meetings. And because there wasn’t any formal engagements and formal meetings, that’s why we have found ourselves in this.
“If we had met before now, we would have proposed a lot of things. We have experts in our midsts who could have proffered some solutions.”
“So, it’s not about grandstanding, but it’s about how we can protect the workforce. Clearly, we have stated in our meeting today that the status quo remains, while we go back and have conversations with our principal, because the workers are our principal, and then we will reconvene for discussion. But we hope that they will revert to status quo.”
