Ahead of meeting, TUC says it doesn’t expect Nigerian govt to meet all its demands

The President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, has disclosed that the labour union can’t achieve 100 per cent of their demands.

Osifo said they don’t expect the government to meet all their demands, but the TUC have a minimum set that must be adhered to.

“We know we cannot get 100 percent of the demands (in the) negotiation; we know our minimum set point,” Osifo said during an interview with Channels TV on Friday.

He said this ahead of the meeting between the labour union and the Federal Government on Monday, June 26, 2023.

Meanwhile, amid claims that FG is planning to increase the salary of the President and other elected positions, Osifo called for a cut in the cost of governance.

Osifo said the government will be able to save more money if it reduces the cost of governance, added to the funds expected to be saved due to the removal of fuel subsidy.

READ ALSO: NLC, TUC ask court to vacate order on fuel subsidy strike

“The government has told us that they are going to save a massive amount of money when the subsidy is removed. So, part of this money should also go to taking care of Nigerians, especially the vulnerable,” he urged.

The TUC president further stated that: “Crude oil is being sold in dollars (USD); when they were repatriating the money before now, the exchange rate was around N460 to a dollar. But today, it is going to be about N700, which means that there would be much more naira available to the government.”

He was of the opinion that the government needs to be more creative or innovative in their actions, “to be able to grow the revenue of the country.

“If the cost of governance is reduced, they would be able to save some money from that and if they do all these other things we have said, we believe that funds will be available,” Osifo stated.

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