By Cross Udo, Abuja

The Organised Labour yesterday during a peaceful rally told the National Assembly to cut down costs and allow Nigerians to breathe as they are being suffocated.

They also complained that in the last two months members of the Presidential Steering Committee on Palliatives have been meeting, it has remained movement without motion as the committee has not been inaugurated.

This came as the leadership of the National Assembly pleaded with Labour to suspend the strike and give it one week to look into all their demands.

The Organised Labour staged a nationwide peaceful rally which started at the Unity Fountain and terminated at the National Assembly complex, Abuja, where they submitted their demands to the senate.

The protest is in respect of the removal of the petrol subsidy and the hike in fuel pump price that has caused untold hardship to Nigerians with the increase in goods and services.

*Blame police for action for blocking entrance

Before the commencement of the rally, security agents blocked roads leading to the national Secretariat and the City center, an action that labour said was an attempt to frustrate their efforts.

Besides, police at the entrance gate to the National Assembly complex had locked the gate to prevent the protesting workers from gaining entrance, but the resilient workers pulled down the gate and forcefully entered the assembly.

With placards of different inscriptions and their musical instruments, the organised labour submitted about seven points’ demands to the leadership of the Senate.

They also warned that the country should not be turned into a police state in the democratic dispensation.

Addressing the senate leadership represented by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, the President of NLC, Joe Ajaero said, “We are here to bring our frustrations, our grievances to the National Assembly, to the senate to see whether this should be the last resort.

“For almost two months now, we have been engaged in discussion, movement without motion, and we got frustrated. A day after the last increase of the pump price of petroleum products, some people, some Nigerians protested to the National Assembly to support it and that is allowed in democracy.

“Now we gave notice that we are equally going to protest at least to speak to our leaders to tell them how it’s biting us that the poor can no longer breadth, what we have been getting has been a threat, threat from the Ministry of Justice that its contempt for Nigerians to protest and we have told them of various cases especially the one of ANPP versus the Nigerian Police where the Appeal Court ruled and eloquently that no court can stop Nigerians from protest rally and that’s the law.

“The Appeal Court went further to argue that Nigerians don’t need Police permits to do their rallies or protests and that the police must protect them. That we have expressed here today.

“This morning while workers are trying to come out for the protest, police, and the army blocked our members coming from Mararaba, they couldn’t access the venue of the protest, and this is a democratic government. All of us were involved in the fight against the military for democracy to come and we should not be victims in this democratic dispensation.

“To worsen it Comrades and we have to explain this to the National Assembly at the gate of the National Assembly, for almost one hour the police refused us entry. All the entreaties made to come and deliver our letter, the Police said no. Nigeria is not a Police state and can never be.

“We can’t degenerate to that position and it’s our duty by what we have displayed today to show that Nigeria is a free state where workers can express their views. There are a lot of distractions, a lot of threats that we are passing through.”

The Labour leader listed the workers’ demands to include: immediate implementation in good faith of all resolutions of Congress jointly signed with the Federal government and TUC; the immediate reversal of all anti-poor policies of government including the recent hike in PMS, school fees, and VAT.

“Now when we talk about the hike, there was a hike of N550 in which a committee was set up by the government, upon which the government went to court and got an injunction, upon which the court announced that the status quo should remain and two adjournments between that time and now the court has not met and one of the parties went ahead to increase again to N617.

“We have come here to protest that very issue because we have not gone on strike for N617 and we are going to consider that option after now because the issue of strike and court order are all around N550 and we have not even addressed it, one party went ahead to increase again.

“The fixing of the country’s local refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna. In the entire statement by Mr President, no statement was made on this and we can’t continue to run an import-driven petroleum or energy system. They depend on what they call vagaries of the market.”

Other demands are wage awards, appropriate recognition and support to the residential steering committee and the work of its sub-committees as well as putting a stop to inhuman actions and policies of the government.

*Describes subsidy removal discussion with FG as movement without motion

Ajaero regretted that the Presidential Steering Committee on Palliatives has not been inaugurated after about two months since it was set up.

“In the history of this country, labour negotiation is headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, never in the history of this country has the Chief of Staff to the President headed the committee. The Chief of Staff is very busy, he doesn’t have time because of state matters.

“Mr President talked about N1trn saved, the committee where we are meeting told us that no one Kobo is saved. So who do we believe, is it the committee, is it Mr President? We are going to believe Mr President. These inconsistencies in pronouncement are not the best,” he said

On his part, Osifo called for a reduction in the cost of government, saying that it was insensitive that the National Assembly would want to share billions amongst themselves while the masses are suffering.

“The Nigerian masses have been battered. They have gone through excruciating pains but, in all of this, we have not heard what the President has to say about the cost of governance.

“We want you in the National Assembly to show sacrifice. We want you to cut down on your budget. We want you to buy Nigerian-made cars not imported vehicles because you are creating jobs over there and importing poverty here. We want you to show leadership because we elected you to work for us” Osifo stated.

*Senator begs labour to suspend strike, promises to look into all demands in one work

Speaking on behalf of the Senate, the Chief Whip, Senator Ndume said: “Please, let us take what we are doing seriously. Let us not just come here to wave flags and sing solidarity songs and go back. Let us solve the problem that is in this country.

“In response to what your leadership has been saying we have keenly followed what is going on. When we realized that there was a breakdown in the discussions between the Presidency and the NLC, the day before yesterday, one of our colleagues brought a motion before us, calling for the Senate to intervene.

“We have a problem, the NLC is discussing with the president. I understand now what he is saying. I have said before that NLC should be discussing with the President or the Vice and if because of their schedule, they are not available, then an acceptable representation should continue the discussion. We stand with you on that.

“Please, have confidence in the National Assembly, give us a trial, and let the leadership of the Senate be involved in the negotiations.

“Let us find a permanent solution to this and the solution can be achieved. Let us find concrete solutions to the issues.

Ndume promised to submit their letter to the leadership of the senate for further action.

“As I said, the Senate is going to be involved. Please give us one week and we will make progress and if you are not satisfied with the progress we are making, then you can take further action.

“We have formed a committee, I have told the President that between today and tomorrow, we will call the first meeting with labor and start the discussions where they will brief you, and engagements will continue and we will do our best as your representatives to come out with solutions acceptable to you and realistic enough,” he assured.

Ndume was accompanied by two Labour Party Senators, Tony Nwoye and Ireti Kingibe.

*Tinubu moves to placate labour with wage award after protest

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu yesterday evening met with the leadership of the two labour centres, NLC and TUC, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he gave them a firm promise on some of their demands.

The Organised Labour had embarked on a strike to protest the removal of fuel subsidy with its attendant hardship on the people in the country.

In a nationwide broadcast on Monday on the heels of the proposed protest by the NLC, President Tinubu outlined some palliatives which the organised labour described as not far-reaching enough.

Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the brief meeting with the President, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said they deepened their discussions with the President on palliatives for workers.

He disclosed that the President explained certain things hitherto not in his nationwide broadcast to them at the meeting.

*We’ll take decision on suspension of strike at NEC meeting today– Ajaero

On whether the President urged them to call off the strike, Ajaero said no one person could do that disclosing, however, that the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NLC would meet today (Thursday) to decide on the next line of action.

He said, “We met with him (President Tinubu). The issues we discussed are the same issues that led to the protest today.

“He has expressed his position, made some commitments, which were taken side-by-side with what the Senate said, and we’re taking it back to the office with our colleagues to review it and release a document on our next line of action.”

Asked whether the commitments were different from the one he did during the broadcast, Ajaero, flanked by the TUC President, Comrade Festus Osifo said, “We have gone deeper into them. The broadcast has broader issues, but there are one or two things that need immediate attention.”

Further asked whether the organised labour will call off the peaceful protest, he said, “No one person can call it off. That’s why I said we’ll have to go back to the office. So that they will look at it, the EXCO looks at it before they come up. And by tomorrow, the NLC will equally have their NEC meeting, to look at the bigger picture.”

Asked whether the President told them to suspend the protest, he simply said, “The President is a pro-democracy activist. So he understands protests.”

It was reliable that the President promised to reconstitute the Presidential Steering Committee on Palliatives, an immediate wage award to workers, and the distribution of CNG vehicles as another way of cushioning the hardship workers are facing.