FG calls for crucial Sunday meeting with NLC, TUC to avoid Monday protest

The federal government has called for a meeting, at 7 p.m. today, with labour leaders to avert tomorrow’s scheduled nationwide protest.

The labour unions, NLC and TUC, had fixed the march to protest the recent increase in the prices of petrol and electricity.

The protest is expected to herald a nationwide strike to protest the price increase.

Two earlier meetings held over the matter, including one held last Thursday, were unsuccessful.

After Thursday’s meeting, the next meeting was initially scheduled to hold tomorrow.

The spokesperson of the labour ministry, Charles Akpan, confirmed the Sunday meeting in a phone interview with PREMIUM TIMES.

“The meeting earlier scheduled for Monday 28th September 2020 is now scheduled as follows: Date: Sunday, September 27, 2020
Venue: Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa. by 7 p.m.,” he said.

Restraining order

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the National Industrial Court in Abuja granted an order of interim injunction restraining the NLC and the TUC from embarking on any strike.

The court also ordered the police and the State Security Service to ensure no one seeking to go to work on September 28 is prevented by the two labour unions.

Both the NLC and TUC have vowed to proceed with their protest despite the court order.

Also, in a circular dated September 25 published on the website of the Head of Service of the Federation, the head of the civil service, Folasade Yemi-Esan, warned federal government workers not to join the planned strike by labour unions across the country.

“Accordingly, all officers on Grade Level 12 and above and those on essential services are hereby strongly advised to be at work to perform their official duties,” she said.

Issues

PREMIUM TIMES reported how electricity distribution companies hiked their tariffs from about N30.23 to about N62.33 per kWh after the federal government said it would no longer subsidise electricity consumption.

The price of petrol also increased from about N145 to about N161 per litre due to the removal of subsidy with the federal government saying it does not have the funds to sustain the such subsidy.