STRIKE: Here’s the deal for which Labour compromised with FG during negotiation

After a negotiation between the federal government and labour that ended 2am Monday, Nigeria’s labour unions decided to suspend the strike planned for Sept 28 in protest against furl price hike and increase in electricity tariffs.

Consequently, a deal was sealed: the federal government will suspend the proposed hike in electricity tariffs for two weeks.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, read the five-page communique signed by the representatives of the government and labour.

The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba; and his Trade Union Congress counterpart, Quadri Olaleye, amongst others signed on behalf of Organised Labour while the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngig,  Minister of State Petroleum, Timipre Silva, Minister of State Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN), Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, and the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and others, signed on behalf of the government.

“We signed a document to suspend the action for two weeks for the government to implement those things that we agreed in the agreement. So, we are suspending for two weeks,” said Olaleye.

“We don’t need a notice again to re-convene if there is a need to do that.”

“The parties agreed to set up a technical committee comprising Ministries, Departments, Agencies, NLC and TUC.

It would work for a duration of two weeks effective September 28, to examine the justifications for the new policy “in view of the need for the validation of the basis for the new cost-reflective tariff as a result of the conflicting information from the fields which appeared different from the data presented to justify the new policy by NERC; metering deployment, challenges, timeline for massive rollout.”

The members of the committee include the Minister of State Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN) as Chairman, Minister of State Power, Godwin Jedy-Agba, Chairman, National Electricity Regulatory Commission, James Momoh, Special Assistant to the President on Infrastructure, Ahmad Zakari as the Secretary.

Other members are Onoho’Omhen Ebhohimhen, Joe Ajaero (NLC), Chris Okonkwo (TUC) and a representative of electricity distribution companies.