The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly condemned the recent increase in petrol pump price, describing it as “traumatic and nightmarish”.
In a statement signed by NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, the labour movement expressed its disappointment and sense of betrayal by the Federal Government.
The NLC recalled the agreement reached during the minimum wage negotiation, where labour accepted N70,000 instead of its demand of N250,000, on the condition that there would be no further increase in petrol price.
However, the recent hike has reneged on this agreement, leaving the NLC feeling betrayed.
The statement called for an immediate reversal of the latest increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) across the country.
The NLC emphasized that the price hike would only exacerbate the suffering of Nigerian workers and citizens, who are already grappling with the challenges of inflation, poverty, and economic hardship.
The labour movement urged the Federal Government to take immediate action to address the concerns of Nigerian workers and citizens, and to work towards finding a lasting solution to the issues of fuel scarcity and price instability.
The statement titled, “We feel betrayed,” read: “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 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.
“But here we are, barely one month after and with government yet to commence payment of the new national minimum wage, confronted by a reality we cannot explain.
It is both traumatic and nightmarish.
