Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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                  Nigeria on Brink of Strike Over Fuel Prices

   by Chima Nwankwo

   Talks are underway in Nigeria to avert a nationwide strike.  Two of the
   country's top labor federations say they will strike Wednesday if the
   government does not reverse its decision to raise the price of fuel.
   The federal government has filed suit against the unions and a court
   ruled Tuesday that if the strike goes ahead as planned, the unions will
   be found in contempt.

   Workers chanted outside the office in Abuja where union leaders and the
   government met for a second day Tuesday.

   Last week, the government raised the price of fuel by 67 percent. The
   country's largest labor federation, the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC),
   says it should have been consulted and will not accept the government's
   decree.

   ''

   ''Government negotiator Adams Oshiomole says subsidizing fuel is bad
   policy.

   "Even at a population growth rate of 3 percent per annum, our
   consumption has expanded so much that by 2015, 2014, Nigeria spent
   about 1.2 trillion [naira] on subsidies," he said. "And then you have a
   subsidy regime that takes about half of your earnings."

   One-point-two trillion naira is equal to just over six billion dollars.

   Nigeria is even more cash-strapped now than it was in 2012 when the
   previous administration tried to remove the fuel subsidy. A nationwide
   strike and days of street protests forced the government to reconsider.

   This time, the government appears to be pursuing a strategy of divide
   and conquer.

   ''

   ''The NLC includes some of the country's largest and most powerful
   unions. An official said Tuesday at least four of those unions are no
   longer endorsing the strike.

   But Joe Ajaero of the National Union of Electricity Workers told VOA
   that is not exactly true.

   "There are issues we raised and they gave us one document," said
   Ajaero. "They said we should study it and come back later today. So
   nobody can say that we have dissociated or anything."

   The drop in global oil prices since last year has plunged Nigeria into
   a financial crisis. An acute fuel shortage is further hurting the
   economy.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/nigeria-on-brink-of-strike-over-fuel-
   prices/3334016.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/nigeria-on-brink-of-strike-over-fuel-prices/3334016.html