Labour rejects Gbajabiamila-led committee, passes vote-of-no confidence

The leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), on Tuesday rejected a Federal Government Committee led by Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, to lead negotiations on the effects of fuel subsidy removal on workers.

During a meeting between the leadership of the organized labour and principal officers of the Nigerian Senate led by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, president of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, passed a vote-of-no confidence on Gbajabiamila’s capability of leading the government negotiation team.

Ajaero who briefed newsmen at the end of the meeting, said labour was not confident that the former Speaker of the House of Representatives was sincere enough to lead the team as the
wage review committee that was set up two months after the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu has yet to sit to begin negotiations.

Read also: Fuel subsidy: Senate, labour meet in Abuja

“Part of our challenge is the issue of the committee put in place. The committee seems not to be capable. As labour, we have done negotiations with previous administrations,” the NLC president said.

“At no time had the Chief of Staff to the President, who is very busy, called to negotiate or lead negotiations, and that has delayed the issues.

“Even since our protest, another meeting has not reconvened, although the President promised that he will restructure the mechanism of engagement with the government for issues to be treated fast.

“We had also agreed on wage award, and up till this moment, the committee on wage award is yet to sit.

“Nothing is yet to happen on the issue of $800 million projected to be borrowed, we have not perfected the list of the people who will benefit from it.

“We should not follow the record that was used in 2019 because we have our doubts about that record. And no indices have been put forward to dictate those that are termed poor,” he added.

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