TUC urges FG to reconvene Palliative Committee meeting

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria on Monday urged the Federal Government to reconvene the meeting of the Committee on Palliatives.

The President of the TUC, Bobboi Kaigama, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.

NAN recalls that the Federal Government inaugurated the 16-man Committee on Palliatives on June 2, with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, as the Chairman.

The task of the committee is to suggest recommendations that would be implemented to to cushion the effect of the fuel price hike in the country.

The Federal government had raised the fuel pump price from N87 to N145 following the persistent fuel scarcity amid dwindling crude oil price in the international market.

Kaigama said reconvening the meeting was long overdue, adding that Labour could not understand the reason for the delay by the Federal Government.

He said: “I will go with my other colleagues to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and also to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to find out the position of the meeting.

“This is because we are getting worried as the report of the palliative committee is ready.

“It is just a matter of all of us sitting down to discuss the report.

“But there were some speculations that there was going to be a meeting last week or so.

“But I think that speculation was wrong since there was no formal communication between the offices concerned and us.”

NAN recalls that the Federal Government accepted to set up the Palliatives Committee and the Committee on National Minimum Wage review in the heat of the nationwide protest by Organised Labour over the increase in fuel pump price.

NAN.