NLC, TUC suspend strike

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Following agreement to discontinue the electricity tariff hike, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have suspended the strike scheduled to commence Monday, September 28.

Labour leaders and the Federal Government reached an agreement at a meeting which started at 8.30pm on Sunday and ended at 2:50am on Monday.

It was agreed that the planned increase in electricity tariff would be suspended for two weeks.

Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige read the five-page communique signed by the representatives of the government and labour.

NLC President Ayuba Wabba and his TUC counterpart Quadri Olaleye among others signed on behalf of labour.

Ngige; Minister of State for Petroleum Timipre Silva; Minister of State for Labour and Employment Festus Keyamo; Minister of Information Lai Mohammed; and the Secretary to Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha and others, signed on behalf of the government.

The parties agreed to set up a technical committee comprising ministries, departments, agencies, NLC and TUC.

It would work for a duration of two weeks effective September 28, to examine the justifications for the new policy “in view of the need for the validation of the basis for the new cost-reflective tariff as a result of the conflicting information from the fields which appeared different from the data presented to justify the new policy by NERC; metering deployment, challenges, timeline for massive rollout.”

“During the two weeks, the DISCOs shall suspend the application of the cost-reflective electricity tariff adjustments,” the communique noted.

It also noted that the FG has fashioned out palliatives that would ameliorate the sufferings that Nigerian workers may experience as a result of the hike in cost electricity tariffs and the deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.

The palliatives will be in the areas of transport, power, housing, agriculture and humanitarian support.