Fuel price: Labour leaders storm out of meeting with FG

Labour union leaders on Sunday night staged a walk out of a meeting with representatives of the Federal Government meant to address issues arising from the recently announced increases in fuel price and electricity tariff.

The union leaders expressed disappointment at the manner in which the government treated its negotiations with the unions.

The meeting held at the Presidential Villa Abuja ended barely 10 minutes in disarray after it commenced.

The labour leaders frowned on the decision by government to go ahead to increase fuel price while discussions were still not concluded on the effects of the earlier hike in prices.

President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Quadiri Olaleye, who addressed the meeting, described government’s action as a slap on the face of labour and an attempt to blackmail them before the public as compromised people.

Olaleye said, “Government is showing a high level of insincerity in discussions with us and is also putting us at risk with the people we are leading, with the masses. We find it difficult to move freely but the people in government are moving freely.”

Representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), also spoke in the same way, accusing the government of betraying the trust with the labour team.

The walkout came came when the Deputy President of NLC, Joe Ajero, insisted that the issue of the recent increase in fuel price should be put the first on the agenda for discussion but the government team said that it would rather have other issues deliberated before delving into the fuel price increase.

There was a heated argument between the two teams, leading to the walkout by labour.