The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress have suspended the strike scheduled to commence today (Monday) following an agreement reached with the Federal Government at a meeting which started at 8.30pm on Sunday and ended at 2:50am this morning.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, read the five-page communiqué signed by the representatives of the government and labour.
As part of the agreement, the Federal Government will suspend the electricity price tariff hike and has set up a committee to look into what the labour minister described as conflicting field reports justifying the hike in electricity tariff.
The suspension of the electricity tariff hike will be for a two-week period during which the committee will conduct its investigations and submit its report.
The committee is to be headed by Dr Ngige, but he will be represented by the Minister of State for Labour, Mr Festus Keyamo.
Based on the agreement, the deregulation of petrol pump prices would remain in place and the government would roll out a financial support package for workers.
Dr Ngige decried the stifled growth in Nigeria’s downstream sector and the dire circumstance faced by government which he claims is the justification for fuel subsidy removal.
The meeting held in the banquet hall of State House in Abuja was attended by the NLC President Ayuba Wabba, President of the Trade Union Congress, Mr Quadri Olaleye and other members of organised labour.
While the government’s team included the Minister of Labour Dr Chris Ngige, Minister of State for Labour Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Petroleum Timipre Silva, Minister of Information Lai Mohammed and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha.
