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General News of Tuesday, 6 June 2023

Source: www.punchng.com

Fuel Subsidy Removal: Tinubu gets fresh demands from TUC to avert strike

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Sunday, June 4th, presented to the representatives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a list of demands to be met following the removal of petroleum subsidy.

At the meeting, the TUC presented a list of demands to the government, including an increase in the minimum wage to cushion the effects of the increase in the prices of fuel, tax holiday for certain categories of people and a revert to status quo as negotiations continue, The Nigerian Tribune reported.

After the meeting on Sunday night, both parties agreed to meet again on Tuesday, June 6, to give time to the president to consider the demands.

The spokesman on the president’s side, Dele Alake, told correspondents after the meeting that the session was constructive.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was not represented at the meeting.

He affirmed that the demands put forward by the union were not impracticable but added that the president needed time to consider them, THISDAY report added.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has experienced a setback in its planned industrial action slated for Wednesday, June 7.

It appears that the union is divided ahead of the set date for the strike as northern and southwest states' chapters of the NLC are pulling out of the proposed industrial action.

The development is coming after Bayo Onanuga, one of the spokespersons of the All Progressives Congress (APC), accuses the NLC national president, Joe Ajaero, of making moves to destabilize the country and the new government as he is working for the opposition Labour Party.

It was gathered on Saturday night, June 3, that the planned action against the removal of the fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu's news administration, was being politicized as the chapters from south-west and northwest states have resolved to back out from the protest.

However, in order to make the planned strike effective, the national leadership of the NLC has written to no less than 43 affiliated unions to be part of the already scheduled industrial actions.