Organised labour on Sunday walked out of a meeting with a Federal Government negotiation team held at the Presidential Villa banquet hall.
The walkout was said to have occurred over the increment of fuel pump price from N160 to N170.
The meeting which commenced around 8:18 pm had been convened to discuss the level of implementation of resolutions reached in September that led to the suspension of a planned strike by the organised labour.
However, 10 minutes after it started, the meeting came to an abrupt end when President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Quadri Olaleye raised the issue of N160 to N170 increment in fuel pump price.
The labour leader was said to have insisted on the reversal of the increment before the meeting could proceed, a request the Federal Government team rejected.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige insisted that the issue of palliatives would be discussed first.
The Herald can report that Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Minister of State for Petroleum, Sylva Timipre, Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo and others were on the Federal Government’s negotiation team.
Olaleye accused the government of being highly insincere and putting the labour leaders at risk with the people they are leading and the masses.
According to him, their followers are accusing them of dancing to the government’s tune and so they cannot move freely while government officials can move unimpeded.
The Deputy President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, confirmed that he and other leaders of the union were being attacked by their followers over the slow pace of implementation of the resolutions reached with the Federal Government.
The organised labour leaders maintained that the fuel pump price increment violated the agreements reached with the Federal Government.
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