collar unions proposed a pay deal with the government that would have averted the strike. The Trade Union Congress proposed a 35 percent pay rise across the board and a 150 percent increase in transport allowances to compensate for the higher fuel costs. A separate meeting between the government and unions in Abuja originally scheduled for Monday evening was postponed to Tuesday. The government is expected to use it to unveil measures to cushion the impact of rising prices. --more 2307 Local Time 2007 GMT
