Labour leaders exit meeting with FG over fuel price hike

On Sunday, leaders of the Nigerian labour angrily walked out of a meeting with the federal government over the recent hike in the pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS), otherwise known as fuel.

The Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) had, in a memo dated November 11, 2020, increased the ex-depot price of petrol to N155.15 per litre from N147.67 — the increase took effect on November 13.

Following the increase, the product now sells between N165 and N170 per litre. The meeting, which took place in Abuja, was a follow-up discussion on the resolutions reached at previous meetings on the increase in the price of fuel and electricity tariff.

The meeting, which began around 8pm, ended less than 15 minutes later as the labour leaders accused the government of not being sincere with the people.

Among those present at the meeting were Najeem Yasin, deputy president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and Quadri Olaleye, president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

Olaleye, who spoke on the recent increase in the pump price of fuel, expressed sadness that discussions were ongoing from the previous meeting before the fresh hike.

“Government is showing a high level of insincerity in discussions with us and is also putting us at risk with the people we are leading — with the masses. We find it difficult to move freely, but the people in government are moving freely,” he said.

Also present at the meeting were Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment; Festus Keyamo, minister of state for labour; Timipre Sylva, minister of state for petroleum, and Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation.

Meanehile, the NLC had, in a statement on November 16, expressed concern about the increase and insisted that it is “against the spirit and content of what organised labour agreed with government at the last negotiations over the last fuel price increase”.