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FUEL HIKE: Governors, labour meet on strike

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The leadership of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) on Saturday met with the representative of the organized labour in a bid to avert a nationwide strike over the recent hikes in the pump price of petrol and electricity tariffs.

The organized labour had declared their intention to proceed with the mass action slated for September 28 in defiance of the court’s order.

The nationwide protest and strike was aimed at forcing the Federal Government to reverse the increase in the price of petrol and electricity tariff.

The National Industrial Court had on Friday restrained the labour unions from going ahead with the mass action.

The Head of Media and Public Affairs, NGF, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, who confirmed the meeting between the governors and the organized labour in a statement, said the Chairman of the Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, would also lead a delegation to meet President Muhammadu Buhari on the matter.

The meeting was attended by Fayemi, the Director-General of the NGF, Mr. Asishana Okauru; the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba; his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Quadri Olaleye, and the NLC General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboajah.

READ ALSO: FUEL HIKE: NLC insists on nationwide protest, strike

He said: “The Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Nigeria Labour Congress are on the path to resolving the impasse occasioned by the threat by workers to embark on industrial action if the Federal Government does not rescind the recent decisions to increase the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit and Electricity Tariff in the country.

“This is the outcome of an early morning dialogue between representatives of the Forum and workers which took place at the residence of the Chairman of the NGF, in Abuja, early on Saturday.

“The NGF Chairman said, no one that is conversant with the prevailing situation in the country would disagree with labour and its demands, as it were, but pleaded that governors be given time to consult more broadly with the various stakeholders, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, the vice president, and the president.

“This he said would be a top priority for the NGF and promised to head straight to the presidency once the meeting was over.”

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