The Federal Government and Organised Labour reached a new agreement on Wednesday to address the soaring prices of transport and essential goods, particularly food items.
This move comes in response to growing public unease over inflation and the escalating cost of living in Nigeria.
The agreement was revealed after a meeting in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, coinciding with a call from the House of Representatives for the government to reverse the recent increase in petrol prices.
According to Vanguard, the agreements include:
– Modalities to Reduce Costs: The Federal Government and Labour agreed on methods to lower transport fares and prices of essential commodities, particularly foodstuffs.
– CNG Initiatives: The government will release over 2,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) conversion kits and 45 CNG buses to Labour, contributing to the goal of reducing transport costs.
“This will also affect the cost of foodstuffs as it will reduce the costs of transporting food items from different locations to consumers drastically.
“These are parts of efforts to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal on the citizens”, a source said.
– State Governors’ Meeting: A meeting will be held with state governors to ensure the new minimum wage of N70,000 is fully implemented across the nation from October.
– Continuous Engagement: Both parties committed to ongoing discussions to improve their relationship and address issues collaboratively, preferring dialogue over conflict.
– Incorporation into Economic Council: Labour will be integrated into the economic council, allowing for better monitoring and participation in economic policy-making.
– Addressing Outstanding Payments: The government promised to pay all outstanding wage awards and arrears to workers and to inaugurate boards with Labour representatives.
– Refinery Completion: The government pledged to hasten the completion of almost five petroleum refineries.
– Acknowledgment of Past Issues: The government admitted to shortcomings in honoring past agreements and promised to improve moving forward.
