The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said on Tuesday that the fuel price increase announced by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has made life worse for Nigerians and called for an immediate reversal of the decision.
NLC President Joe Ajaero denounced the action in a statement and explained that the Federal Government was betraying the labor movement.
Ajaero said, “We demand the immediate reversal of the latest increase in the pump of PMS across the country, release of all those incarcerated or being prosecuted on the assumption of having participated in the recent protests.
“Halt the indiscriminate arrest and detention of citizens on trumped up charges, reversal of the 250% tariff hike in electricity, stop to the hijack of the duties of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
“End to policies that engender hunger and insecurity, Halt to government’s culture of terror, fear and lying. We are guided by our belief in our country and the need to secure and sustain its sovereignty, integrity and welfare of the people.”
While accusing the government of being dishonest, NLC President Ajaero called the policies of the current administration as traumatizing.
He also stated that the government has not yet implemented the new national minimum wage of N70,000.
He recalled how President Bola Tinubu gave labour leaders the option of choosing from N250,000 as the new minimum wage in exchange of petrol price at N1,500, and said they rejected the offer due to the impact it would have on Nigerians.
“But here we are, barely one month after and with the government yet to commence payment of the new national minimum wage, confronted by a reality we cannot explain. It is both traumatic and nightmarish.
