Abuja — The meeting of representatives of the Federal Government and organised labour over the planned deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry ended in a deadlock yesterday.

While government officials led by the Minister of Finance, Alhaji Mansur Muktar, for several hours tried to convince labour on the merit of the deregulation, labour, represented by the Nigeria Labour Congress, maintained its opposition to the policy. A source said NLC insisted that Nigeria ought to be exporting rather than importing fuel.