Nigerian strike talks end in stalemate - unions

ABUJA, June 22 (Reuters) Overnight talks between Nigerian unions and the government ended in a stalemate and unions vowed to extend their strike to protest against a rise in fuel prices to a third day today, union leaders said.

The government said it would no longer tolerate street blockades and intimidation by unionists, setting the stage for a more hostile face-off between workers and authorities in Africa's top oil producer.

''I don't know which word is stronger, deadlock or stalemate...

The strike continues,'' said Abdulwahed Omar, head of umbrella union body Nigeria Labour Congress, after several hours of talks with the government in the capital Abuja.

The strike has paralysed most economic activity in Nigeria, the world's eighth largest exporter of crude oil, but oil production and exports have so far been spared.

Before the talks, unions had threatened to halt power and water supplies today unless the government reversed in full a 10-naira increase in the price of petrol.

''I would say we have not made sufficient progress to enable a resolution of the ongoing strike,'' said Babagana Kingibe, the government's chief negotiator.

''Government will now consider all other options which it had so far been reluctant to apply to ensuring that labour laws are fully respected.'' The government had overlooked union efforts to enforce the strike by chasing workers from offices and barricading streets and fuel depots, but the government would now strictly enforce laws against those activities, he added.

''Government will put every measure in place to ensure that citizens who want to exercise their fundamental rights to go to work will do so without molestation and that filling stations and depots are secured,'' Kingibe said.

The general strike was preceded by almost a week-long strike of road tanker drivers, which has caused a nationwide fuel scarcity that has strengthened the strike.

Public transport has been affected in many parts of the country and most filling stations no longer have fuel.

REUTERS KK VC0940