We’re Committed To Palliatives, NLC Assures

The Nigeria Labour Congress says it is committed to ensuring that the Federal Government puts in place the necessary palliatives to alleviate the suffering of workers and Nigerians in general.
NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, made this commitment while fielding questions at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja yesterday.
Wabba said that the failure of some critical government agencies to make the necessary input had delayed the work of the Palliative Committee.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government set up the committee on June 2, to evolve recommendations to address the challenges arising from the fuel price increase from N87 to N145.
He said that the Minister of Labour and Employment had given the agencies concerned two weeks to come up with the required input and recommendations.
“The committee met, but not much progress has been made because of the fact that some key agencies of government which ought to have come up with a position on some of those issues, were not able to do that.
“But as organised labour, we were prepared and our memo was ready; it was all inclusive; we have considered both public and private sector workers.
“And we have also looked at the implication of those policies on workers and we have looked at the purchasing power that has been reduced to virtually zero.
“In all of this, we have come up with a package which all of us agree — both TUC, NLC — and all our other colleagues agree on it.
“That meeting could not go forward and it was then adjourned by the Chairman; the Honourable Minister of Labour did well.
“He did not mince words by saying there must be commitment to trying to drive the process and get those issues resolved.
“ Therefore, it was out of his share commitment that he now said he has given them two weeks to come back to the table; but they must come back prepared.’’
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He said that the NLC was committed to driving the negotiation process and would persuade other members of the committee to do the needful.
“Therefore, we are committed to driving the process to its conclusion. But I think the bottom line is that already, the workers and all of us have been pushed to the wall and there is a limit to how patient people can be.
“So, I quite think that is the situation we are in now because these things are biting very hard indeed.
“ Therefore, there is need to drive the process very fast; if not, the essence of the intervention would have been lost, if at the end of the day you do not have the workers that would benefit from it.
“If all of us are dead, then certainly, the aim has been defeated. So, that is our position and that is the point we have reached.’’
He said that the Federal Government was expecting the report from the committee as the office of the Vice President and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) had requested that the report should be ready.