The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has voiced concern over the Federal Government’s apparent lack of effort to meet its requests in light of the economic difficulties created by the elimination of fuel subsidies.
In an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, NLC President Joe Ajaero spoke out about the government’s refusal to move on several points, hours after a stalled meeting with government officials to avert an indefinite strike.
Among its requests are that the government address the repercussions of rising petrol prices, reassess the minimum wage, develop a feasible roadmap for the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) alternative, repair the country’s refineries and settle lecturers’ salary arrears.
“They have not made any efforts on any issue,” Ajaero asserted.
“Even the issue as simple as cash transfer or bringing buses on the road, nothing has happened to them. So, it’s a lack of willingness and we can’t muddle up all these issues.
“Then you call a minimum wage as wage award. If anybody is looking at the issue of wage award as minimum wage, then there’s confusion within that class of people.”
Citing a 2021 agreement on CNG vehicles reached with the then Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, the labour leader argued it was clear that a million vehicles could be converted within three months.
Ajaero decried the Federal Government’s 2024 projection to deploy CNG buses for a more affordable mass transit system.
“If anybody is telling you that until next year, nothing could be done, I’m telling you that the person is not telling us the truth,” he said.
“What is so peculiar about next year when these processes will start? Is it that there are no CNG vehicles that can onto the road, or we can’t have some stations, even with IPMAN saying that their filling stations are available?”