THE Trade Union Congress (TUC) yesterday gave the Federal Government up till Wednesday, May 18, 2016 to invite the leadership of labour for discussion aimed at determining the appropriate way forward in the on-going crisis surrounding the fuel pump price increase.
This is even as the labour centre insisted that the government should revert to the old price regime with immediate effect. In a communiqué issued at the end of an emergency meeting of the Congress highest organ, the National Executive Council (NEC) and jointly signed by the President, Bobboi Bala Kaigama and Acting Secretary General, Simeso Amachree, TUC said it rejected in its entirety the astronomical increase in the price of petrol from N86.50 per litre to N145 per litre.
“The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) at an emergency meeting held on Friday in Lagos deliberated extensively on the recent increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol by the Federal Government”, the statement said.
The leadership of the Congress at the meeting also directed the leadership of the TUC to interface with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Civil Society Allies to work out action plans that would be put in place to protest the insensitive fuel price hike should the Government fail to meet the Wednesday, deadline.
Meanwhile the joint leadership of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), at its meeting yesterday expressed that the recent price deregulation has its benefits in the immediate and near future.
It however stated that the Federal Government should engage the stakeholders to work out a clear direction on how to reinvest the gains into the economy to cushion the effect of the price.
BY BIMBOLA OYESOLA (DAILY SUN)
NELLY UNIVERSE 