The organised labour took the decision after an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, following the new pump price announced on Wednesday by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu.
New Telegraph reliably gathered that the Federal Government has initiated moves to engage the Labour leaders before the expiration of the ultimatum on Tuesday midnight with a view to making them to shelve the planned mass action.
Sources at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment told our correspondent yesterday that messages have been sent to leaders of different labour leaders to attend a crucial meeting today at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
The meeting, it was gathered, is expected to have in attendance all key stakeholders including the SGF, Babachir David Lawal; Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, and Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, among others.
When contacted, General Secretary of the NLC, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson confirmed that the Labour headquarters received a Short Message Service (SMS) from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment inviting the leadership of the NLC to a meeting today. He, however, said that the Congress was interested in the reversal of the pump price than a meeting.
His words: “Well, we have received a text message this afternoon (yesterday) from the Ministry of Labour inviting us to a meeting at the office of SGF tomorrow. We are not interested in any meeting. What we are interested in is the immediate reversal of the pump price to the old price.”
Asked if the meeting was going to affect mobilisation for the mass action and the planned strike, Ozo-Eson said, “The only thing that can stop our plans is a reversal.” “Preparation for Wednesday is in full scale unless reversal takes place,” he added.
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