Reuters
13 January 2012
* Unions, president to resume talks on Saturday
* Nationwide strikes, protests run into fifth day
* Oil workers threaten to cut output from Sunday
By Felix Onuah and Joe Brock
ABUJA, Jan 13 (Reuters) - One of Nigeria' s main trade unions said talks with President Goodluck Jonathan over the government' s removal of publicly popular fuel subsidies were ' fruitful' and ongoing, but strikes would continue until an agreement was reached.
Tens of thousands of Nigerians had been demonstrating in cities up and down Africa ' s most populous nation for four straight days as neither side was ready to concede an inch.
Unions said the pre-subsidy removal petrol price of 65 naira a litre must be reintroduced and the government said fuel subsidies were gone for good because they were corrupt and a dangerous drain on Africa ' s second-largest economy.
But Jonathan and unions met late on Thursday.
"We had fruitful discussions, both sides have agreed to shift ground. We will be meeting again on Saturday," said Abdulwaheed Omar, president of Nigeria Labour Congress, one of Nigeria ' s two biggest workers' unions.
"Unless and until we get a conclusive conclusion from the discussion then that means we will maintain status quo. For now the strike still continues," Omar said.
The central bank governor, Lamido Sanusi, told Reuters the strikes were costing the economy more than $600 million a day.
Presidency sources say the sticking point is the price of petrol and both sides may have to concede to a temporary fixed price, somewhere between 65 and 150 naira a litre.
It is not clear if unions are open to a phased subsidy removal. Sanusi said the key for government was to get unions to agree to subsidies being removed, even if it was in the future.
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