[ 2012-01-15 ]

Nigerian unions blame government for stalled talks
LAGOS (AFP) - Nigeria's labour federations said on
Sunday talks to end a crippling week-old strike
and street protests against a recent fuel price
hike stalled because of government's refusal to
rescind its decision.

The government and union leaders failed to reach
an agreement late on Saturday on the strike that
has shut down Africa's largest oil producer, but a
threat by workers to halt oil production was put
on hold.

The talks "stalled due to differences on the
methodology in finding a solution to the crisis,"
the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union
Congress (TUC) said in a joint statement.

The unions said while they wanted government to
revert to the pre-January 1 price level of 65
naira per litre of petrol before negotiations
could resume government was insisting on the new
price of 140/141 naira.

"We made a pledge that once the price increase
suspension is announced, labour and its allies
will immediately suspend the strikes, rallies and
street protests," the unions said.

The unions said the strike which was suspended for
the weekend would resume on Monday if no deal is
struck.

The country's main oil workers union PENGASAN had
threatened to begin shutting down crude production
from Sunday if a deal were not reached, but also
added that its actions would be predicated on
talks at the presidency.

"In the interest of the ongoing negotiations, the
PENGASSAN (national executive council) session has
alerted all our members at all production
platforms to execute the systematic shutdown if
the negotiation process breaks down," spokesman
Babatunde Oke said.

He said the union expected further talks on Sunday
morning that it would be monitoring before
deciding on further action.

A move by government to end fuel subsidies
abruptly and without warning on January 1 sparked
the strike and brought tens of thousands of people
out into the streets in protest over the past
week.

The move caused petrol prices to more than double
overnight, from 65 naira per litre ($0.40, 0.30
euros) to 140 naira or more.

But Nigerians are united in anger against the
scrapping of subsidies, which they view as their
only benefit from the nation's oil wealth. There
is also deep mistrust of government after years of
blatant corruption.

Source - AFP

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