By KEMI KASUMU
It has been said that the Federal Government, not having done enough with regard to cushioning the effects of fuel subsidy removal in the country, cannot stop organised labour from embarking on strike and protest over the policy.
Like it is said that a child cannot be flogged and, at the same time be blamed for crying, the statement came by a former President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Peter Esele, who said following the removal of fuel subsidy, Labour has been pushing for palliatives for Nigerians to cushion the impact of the move.
The Nigerian workers have now threatened to embark on protest and strike on Wednesday after talks with the government broke down and Peter Esele said the government has not done enough to stop them from doing just that.
Esele, who was reacting to the situation on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics Sunday night, maintained that the government has not addressed the labour’s demands.
“I am at a loss why at this point in time the Federal Government would have allowed labour to go ahead and issue an ultimatum because right now it will be very difficult for Ajaero to back out; if he backs out he is going to be accused of selling out.
“And the other option for the government is that they should come out and say ‘This is what we are doing’. You just saw one of their demands which is that government should invest in CNG.
“I also have my worry about the protest and the strike but the challenge now is that even the organised labour will be up against the leadership for them to do something. So, the Federal Government has not done enough in allowing labour to go this far,” Esele said.
Representatives of organised labour on Friday walked out of a meeting with the Federal Government (FG)’s team on palliatives.
The meeting was supposed to be a continuation of their deliberations on palliatives to cushion the effect of subsidy removal in the country.
The labour team, which was led by the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, did not speak to journalists as they made their way from the venue of the meeting.
