Fuel Price: Why NLC, TUC defy court order

The NLC and TUC blamed government insensitivity in the as the reason they had to defy court order to begin an indefinite nation-wide strike over the recent increase in fuel price. The labour unions had another unsuccessful meeting Tuesday night with government representatives

“The talks with government broke down because it was not ready to address the issues the NLC placed on the table for discussion; so we left,” said Peter Ozo-Eson, NLC secretary-general, in an interview with the Premium Times

The labour had put on the negotiation table reversal of the fuel price to N86 per litre first, and a downward review of the electricity tariff marked up in March—all as conditions for starting any negotiation.

“They said they wanted to discuss minimum wage and palliatives. But those were not issues we were ready to start any discussion with,” he said.

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For the electricity tariff, the government, according to Ozo-Ezon, said they were not ready to discuss such things.

So the labour leaders also insisted they were not keen on what offers government was going to make.

Although the AGF and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami had obtained an ex parte injunction ordering the unionists to hold their horses with respect to the strike, the labour eventually called out the members Wednesday morning.

The unionist have described the court order as a black market injunction.