The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has given the federal government two weeks to reach agreement on negotiations or face workers’ protest.
The TUC President, Mr. Festus Osifoh, while addressing journalists on Monday in Abuja, said the union was not happy m the way negotiations proceeded with the anticipated speed.
The Union said if after August 19, nothing tangible was concluded, it would be compelled to take further action to protect workers and the masses of the country from being subjected to unending hardship.
Osifoh stressed that organised labour had summed up their demand under three key areas, which included deployment of alternatives to the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) such as CNG, providing palliatives and reduction in cost of governance.
He recalled that the federal government had said the negotiating team has a maximum of two months to conclude all discussions so that implementation would commence and that it would not like a situation where the committee would sit for years.
Osifoh stated: “Government gave a timeline of eight weeks, beginning from June 19, and if you do your calculation, eight weeks is going to be end by August 19.
“So far we have stayed more than one month and we felt that we are not going at the speed we anticipated and we want the government to fast tract action to ensure that between now and next two weeks all the committees must have submitted their report so that the Presidential Steering Committee can conclude its work immediately because we cannot continue to blow big, big grammar while Nigerians are suffering and people are trekking long distances to work,” he said.
