TUC Opts for Further Dialogue

The TUC yesterday rejected the strike option over the petrol price increase and resolved to continue with the dialogue with the federal government negotiation team.

At its emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held yesterday in Abuja, TUC said that it had agreed to give the government until Sunday to respond to its demands before the association will decide on the next line of action.

Addressing journalists after the NEC meeting, TUC president Festus Osifoh said the members used the opportunity to consider palliatives planned by the federal government and also outlined their key demands to be submitted to the authorities.

Osifoh said: "First of all, the congress was unhappy with the unilateral decision of the fuel subsidy removal by the government. Our expectation was that they should have engaged the representatives of the people, the organised labour, but it was done unilaterally.

"We told them that the least of the things that we want to put forward won’t be submitted now but that we will discuss with our organs and take mandates from them on the things which we can put forward.

"So, that is one of the things that led to the NEC. We have had a conversation and the NEC has mandated us to go back to that meeting and put our demand before the government.

"It is how the government reacts to our demand that will now necessitate the next line of action. We will tarry till Sunday when we will meet with the representatives of the government. Once we are done with the meeting with the demands that the TUC will put forward, their reaction will determine our next line of action."