Organised Labour has passed a vote of no confidence on the Federal Government Committee set up to negotiate wage review and other palliatives to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal on workers.
Naija News reports that the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, stated this at a meeting between the leadership of the organized labour and the Senate principal officers led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Ajaero said the team headed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila is not capable of negotiation and has lost the trust of the labour unions. 
He lamented that the wage review committee was yet to sit two months after the removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria, and the plight of Nigerians has worsened since.
The NLC president said while labour leaders were still deliberating on N537 per litre of fuel and the court had ruled for the status quo to remain, surprisingly, the government decided to increase the fuel to N620 per litre.
He said, “Part of our challenge is the issue of the committee put in place. The committee seems not to be capable. As labour, we have done negotiations with previous administrations.
“At no time had the Chief of Staff to the President, who is very busy, called to negotiate or lead negotiations, and that has delayed the issues.
“Even since our protest, another meeting has not reconvened, although the president promised that he will restructure the mechanism of engagement with the government for issues to be treated fast.”
“We had also agreed on wage award, and up till this moment, the committee on wage award is yet to sit.”
Similarly, his colleague, the Trade Union Congress President, Festus Usifo, lamented the snail-speed with which the Federal Government was treating the issue of the palliative.
He said, “The government said they will create alternatives and palliatives, it’s over two months, and there is no sense of urgency.
“3,000 buses are too small. If the government has saved one trillion in two months, why can’t the government channel this money to tackle these alternatives?”
Speaking with reporters after the meeting, Osifo noted that the Senate leadership had assured them of meeting with the president and getting problems solved in a few days’ time.
He said, “At the meeting, we put our agenda forward and those things we said to them the last time we came here.
“The Senate has promised to take up the issue with the president. What we want is action, and we believe that in a few days, that will be answered. There was no ultimatum given to the Senate.”
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