Fuel subsidy removal: We need more action than promises, TUC tells FG

The Trade Union Congress, TUC, of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja told the Federal Government, that what Nigerian workers need presently is more action than promises because workers are getting more inpatient due to hardship occasioned by the removal of subsidy.

President of the TUC, Festus Osifo stated this when the union’s leadership interfaced with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong and the Minister of State, Nkeiruka Onyejecha on the efforts of the government in addressing the concerns of workers.

Osifo told the two Ministers that workers are facing enormous pressures that are making life very difficult, which makes the leadership of TUC to have sleepless nights.

The Minister of Labour and Employment had convened the meeting to brief the TUC on the efforts made by Federal Government to address their grievances.

The Minister, in company of the Minister of State, told the TUC that after their last meeting, he met with the President to highlight some of the issues raised by the Labour union.

He appealed to the TUC to exercise more patience, explaining that before the President left for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, he was fully briefed and gave further directives on implementation of issues put before him, particularly when he personally met with the labour leaders.

Before the meeting went into a closed door session, the Minister thanked the TUC for accepting to come for the briefing, which showed that they are committed to the Nigerian project and are open to dialogue for greater industrial harmony.

On his part, TUC President, Comrade Osifo, said “the TUC appreciates the efforts of the Minister but there has to be more action than promises because workers are getting more inpatient due to hardship occasioned by the removal of subsidy.”

He further said that “workers are facing enormous pressures that are making life very difficult, which makes the leadership of TUC to have sleepless nights.”

He, however, said that the TUC hopes that between the next two weeks, the President would have done everything possible to arrive at a conclusion which the workers are eager to hear in order to douse the tension and threat for withdrawal of services by workers.

After the meeting, the TUC said it held fruitful discussions and hoped that the government will live up to its promises and responsibility for ensuring the welfare of workers and Nigerians in general.