The Nigeria Labour congress NLC, says it is filled with a deep sense of betrayal as the federal government clandestinely increases the pump price of PMS
A statement signed NLC President, Joe Ajaero says In the coming days, the appropriate organs of the Congress will be meeting to take appropriate decisions which will be made public.
NLC Says one of the reasons for accepting N70,000 as national minimum wage was the understanding that the pump price of pms would not be increased even as it knew that N70,000 was not sufficient.
The NLC says it recalls vividly when Mr President gave workers the devil’s alternatives to choose from: either N250,000 as minimum wage, subject to the rise of the pump price between N1,500 and N2,000 and N70,000, at old pms rates, and, it opted for the latter to avoid further punishment on Nigerians.
NLC says barely one month after and with government yet to commence payment of the new national minimum wage, confronted by a reality that can not be explained, which is both traumatic and nightmarish, fuel prices are increased.
Labour says if truth be told, this act of betrayal is consistent with the character of this government, and again, recalls the assurances it was given by the leadership of the National Assembly on the 250% tariff hike, that it had been dealt with and there was no need to openly engage the Minister of Power who was at that meeting.
The statement noted that instead of the promised reversal, the rate has since been jerked up further putting more Nigerians and businesses in jeopardy.
Labour says the combined effects of what it calls government’s ferocious right -wing market policies brought Nigerians and Nigeria to their all-time low and led to the End-Hunger/End Bad Governance protests.
It worries that rather than make amends, government arrested and hounded into detention some of those who took part and some of those who had nothing to do with these protests, charging them with criminal conspiracy, subversion, treasonable felony, terrorism financing and cyber crime with an intent to overthrow the government of President Tinubu.
It adds that the police and other security agencies have since been on rampage terrorising the citizenry in pursuance of government’s agenda of muzzling lawful dissent. And, in their brazen pursuit, they have defamed and libelled not a few individuals.
It says the police have gone as far as appropriating the statutory roles of the Ministry of Labour and Employment in resolving trade dispute matters and issues considered outside the jurisdiction of the security agencies.
That the government is on rampage in the face of stifling conditions of living is an understatement but we promise Nigerians that we at the Nigeria Labour Congress will not be cowed into submission.
Editor Paul Akhagbemhe
