Organised labour rejects increase, says action a betrayal

By Abbas Musa
Kanempress News
4th September 2024

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the new price.

The Nigeria Labour called for the immediate reversal of new price increase of Petrol.

NLC President Joe Ajaero described the increase as a “betrayal” after the Federal Government promised no pump price hike as a condition for the N70,000 minimum wage.

NLC demands reversal

NLC said it felt betrayed by the Federal Government following the latest increase in the pump price of petrol.

Mr Ajaero urged the government to reverse the increase in prices.

Ajaero said the organs of the NLC would meet in the coming days and decide on its next move.

He said: “We are filled with a deep sense of betrayal as the Federal Government clandestinely increases the pump price of PMS.

“One of the reasons for accepting N70,000 as the national minimum wage was the understanding that the pump price of PMS would not be increased even as we knew that N70,000 was not sufficient.

“We recall vividly when Mr President gave us 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), we opted for the latter because we could not bring ourselves to accept further punishment on Nigerians,” Ajaero stated.

“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,” the Labour noted

“It is both traumatic and nightmarish.

“Yet, when we told the government that its approach to resolving the fuel subsidy contradictions was patently faulty and would not last, its front-row cheerleaders sneered at us, saying we did not understand basic economics,” Ajaero concluded.