How FG ambushed Labour on fuel price raise –TUC

From Dennis Mernyi, Abuja

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has distanced itself from the Federal Government’s decision to increase fuel price to N145 per litre.
The labour union in a statement in Abuja, yesterday signed by its National President, Bobboi Bala Kaigama and acting General Secretary, Simeso Amachree, said they were coerced into the meeting at the Presidential Villa at the instance of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, without any idea of its agenda.
“We wish to state emphatically that we do not know how the Federal Government arrived at the new price of N145 for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) known as petrol, neither do we appreciate how they arrived at their decision to allow market forces alone determine the cost of the product,” they stated.
According to him, the  Organised Labour received a 24-hour notice inviting it to meet with Vice President Osinbajo and some other key government functionaries including the Minister of Labour and Employment, the Minister of Information, the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, and the Minister of State for Petroleum.
“The meeting held yesterday.  The call for meeting stated no specific agenda and we were left to conjecture. Little did we know that the government had already concluded plans to hike the price of petrol. Indeed, we were taken aback.
“The meeting had the leadership of labour in attendance but we never made any input. Not with the shock we experienced at the premeditated “ambush” by the government, which clearly did not invite us for any dialogue.
“When they stated their plan to introduce the new prices, our response was to ask for time to consult with our respective executive organs and subsequently revert appropriately. The government’s representatives agreed.  And so we left. We were therefore totally confounded and shocked when we got to know that they later went on air announcing new price for petrol. But our focus and hope remain strong. We know what to do.”
TUC said it has scheduled an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) for Friday, May 13, 2016 to examine the government’s pronouncement and take a stand on the matter in the best interest of Nigerian workers and the masses of our people.
“To say Nigerians are disappointed and dismayed at the fuel price hike would be a colossal understatement, especially as the present APC government repeatedly insisted during their pre-2015 election campaigns that there was already nothing like subsidy during the immediate past administration. Alas, what a great volte face! It’s betrayal in high places!”