The Federal Government and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria have made progress on the negotiations towards resolving the lingering dispute over the removal of fuel subsidy.
The Federal Government’s team and that of the TUC, led by its President, Festus Osifo, met on Sunday in a meeting that started at about 4pm and ended around 7.30pm.
Addressing the State House Press Corps after the meeting on Sunday, Dele Alake who was part of the government negotiation team, said much progress was made in talks with the TUC leaders.
He revealed that a major demand from the TUC was wage increase for workers to accommodate the burden of the rising cost of living that the subsidy removal would bring, noting that the Federal Government was not averse to wage increase as President Bola Tinubu himself had hinted on wage increase during his meeting with governors of the All Progressives Congress on Thursday.
The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, led by Joe Ajaero, didn’t attend the Sunday meeting.
The government’s team had Wale Edun, Olayemi Cardoso, Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mele Kyari, Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, labour leader and a former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, among others.
Alake said the meeting with TUC would continue on Tuesday after further consultations by both sides to firm up resolutions.
