i think the offered made to labour by faderal goverment good deal.

but we still deserved some explanation from Labour Advantage of the offers

Labour leaders Saturday night said they decided to suspend the four-day strike by workers over the recent fuel price increases following a personal intervention by President Umaru Yar‘ Adua.

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Photo file
Omar NLC President

The Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress called off the strike at the end of a meeting held with representatives of the Federal Government, led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe.

According to them, the President personally wrote a letter to the leaders of labour making some fundamental commitments.

He promised not to re- view upward the new price regime of petroleum products in the next 12 months.

Besides, the President pledged to set up an expert committee to look in to pricing mechanism in the oil sector.

Another agreement was the setting up of an expert committee to examine the privatisation and concession, especially the recent sale of government equity in the refineries.

In the letter, Yar‘ Adua also narrated the suffering of the Nigerian people and the anguish with which he la- boured to resolve the indus- trial dispute:

The leaders held a joint press conference at the SGF‘s office where the communique was read.

Shedding light on the decision to call off the strike, the TUC president, Mr. Peter Esele said, ”This decision was based on the interven- tion by the President and the letter he has written. The President has said that we should place our trust and faith in him. And we intend to walk that all the way.”

The communique of the meeting reads:

”The Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress, and the Trade Union Congress held a series of meetings over organised labour‘s demand on the recent increase in the prices of petroleum product and VAT and the privatisation and concession of some national assets and the non payment of the 15 percent increase in the salary earlier promised. And as a conclusion of this concession, the following were agreed

upon:

1. The increase of the VAT rate from 5% to 10% is hereby revoked.-The VAT rate is now reverted to 5%

2. Government to set-up an expert committee to examine the pricing mechanism of petroleum products

and make recommendation bearing in mind the strategic nature of the products and the impact of the prices on the economy and the social

lives and the livelihood of Nigerians. Both the NLC and .the T.U.C will be represented on the committee.

.3. Government will setup an expert committee to examine the recent privatization and concession exercises, especially the sale of 61 % government equity in the refineries and the proposal for the power sector. The labour will fully participate in the work of this committee.

4. Government will implement the 15% salary increase

for the Federal Government employees with effect from the 1st of January 2007, The modalities for spreading the payment of the

arrears in the first quarter will be worked out by the government.

5. The N10 per liter increase in the prices of kerosene and diesel is reversed.

6. The N10 per litre increase in the pump head price of petrol is reviewed to N5 per litre. Consequently petrol will now sell at N70 per litre.

7. Government has assured that, there will be no review of this price level of N70 per litre for petrol for the next 12 months.

8. The ongoing NLC and TUC general strike is suspended with effect from midnight 23rd June 2007. All business premises, factories and public offices, shall now resume normal operations.

9. No staff or workers shall face any disciplinary action arising from their participation in the strike.

10. In the spirit of the strategic partnership between Government and labour initiated by president Umaru Yar;Adua in his letter of June

23rd 2007, to the NLC & TUC, both sides further agreed on the need for a mechanism for structured, proactive and routine interaction between government

and organised labour towards a development process.”

The Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and the Joint Action Forum on Wednesday ordered

workers to commence an indefinite strike after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum over workers‘ demands.

The demands included the reversal of the increase in Value Added Tax from N5 to NI0; the price of petrol from N65 to N75; diesel from 54 to 65 and kerosene from N54 to N65.

Others included a review of the sale of both Port-Harcourt and Kaduna refineries and the implementation

of the 15 per cent increase in the salary in the federal civil service.

But after initial talks with labour, the government reversed the increase on VAT; prices of kerosene and diesel.

However, labour rejected the decision of government to reduce the new price of fuel by N5 so that commodity will

now sell for N70 per .litre.

The Saturday meeting which was originally scheduled to begin at 7.30pm, was

delayed till 8.30 pm, about 15 minutes after the union leaders arrived.

It was apparent that the labour leaders, who included the NLC, and hoc presidents

and the secretary of NLC, Mr.John Udeh had harmonized their position before coming to the meeting which ended at l0.50pm. At the meeting,

the leaders were adamant on their position especially on the issue of petrol price before Yar‘ Adua‘ s letter was presented by Kingibe.

The decision of the NLC to suspend the strike did not go down well with the TUC leadership, a source said.

It was learnt. that Usele and other leaders of the TUC had scheduled a press conference for Abuja on Sunday to express a few reservations on

the agreement labour reached with the government.

http://www.punchontheweb.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2007062418294562

thank God ooooo. Lets hope Yaradua keep to his vibes. Workers get ready for work oooo.

The bankers should get ready for a HARD WORK tomorrow. There's going e storming the banks. That I know.

Lets keep our finger crossed.

American analysts, were right after all. They said strikes are always threatened in Nigeria then called off at the last minute.

Thank God.