Make U-turn On Subsidy Removal, TUC Urges FG

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has raised concerns and called on the Federal Government to reconsider its decision to remove fuel subsidy.

Mr. Festus Osifo, the President of TUC, conveyed this message during a press conference following an emergency meeting of the congress’s National Executive Council (NEC) in Abuja on Friday.

Expressing dissatisfaction, Osifo highlighted that the TUC is displeased with the unilateral action taken by the Federal Government in removing the subsidy.

“Having noted this, we wish to state that the NEC-in- session resolved that discussions with Federal Government should continue while demanding that the government should revert to the status quo ante.

“The status quo ante should be maintained while discussions continue as we had a meeting with the government on Wednesday.

“During that discussion, they gave us a list of all the things they would do and they also demanded to know our thinking and what we are putting up.

“We told them the lists of the things we want to put forward, we will not submit them now but put them forward to our organs, to discuss and seek a mandate from them of the things we can put forward,’ ‘he said.

According to Osifo, it is how the government reacts to TUC’s demands that will determine the union’s next line of action.

“We will wait till Sunday when we will meet with the representatives of the government.

“Once we are done with that meeting then the TUC is going to put its demands forward, it is how they react to those demands that will determine our next line of action, ”he said.