FG, labour unions back to negotiation table on subsidy palliatives

Representatives of the Federal Government and Organised Labour have resumed their talks on ways to cushion the harsh effects of the removal of petrol subsidy. The Friday meeting ended in stalemate due to the absence of  top government officials to negotiate with the labour unions. The stalemated meeting was to take briefing from three subcommittees of mass transit, the CNG and cash transfer which the government had proposed to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal.

Government’s representatives at Monday’s meeting are the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila; the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Kachollom Daju; the Group Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari; among others. The organised Labour’ is being represented by the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero; his counterpart from TUC, Festus Osifo; the General Secretary of NLC, Emma Ugbaja; the TUC Secretary, Nuhu Toro; and some other which included Prof. Sam Amadi.