The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Condemns Anti-Poor Policies and Fuel Price Hike as Weapons Against Nigerian Workers and Masses
The recent increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) and other perceived policies that adversely affect the poor have been denounced by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) as acts of aggression against Nigerian workers and the masses. The NLC emphasizes that these measures do not align with sound economic management and only serve to further impoverish the working class.
During the opening ceremony of a four-day program for state council leaders of the NLC in Lagos, President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, expressed that the Nigerian state has effectively declared war on the working people and the masses of Nigeria. Represented by Deputy President of Congress and President-General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, Ajaero stressed the importance of trade union leaders standing alongside the Nigerian people and workers in their struggle for rights and protection.
The NLC president highlighted the need for unity among labor leaders nationwide to ensure the articulation and defense of the rights of Nigerian workers and citizens. He expressed hope that one day the workers of Nigeria will regain their natural rights, which have been unjustly curtailed by uninformed employers and some government officials who should be at the forefront of safeguarding these rights.
Ajaero also pointed out that successive Nigerian governments have callously trampled upon the rights of Nigerians without remorse, with politicians joining forces against workers and the masses without facing any consequences. He emphasized the paradoxical nature of governance in Nigeria, where it is meant to serve the people but has become a tool for inflicting pain and suffering upon them.
The recent sharp increase in the price of petrol by the federal government, justified as the withdrawal of petroleum subsidy, was mentioned as an example of a policy implemented without proper dialogue or alternative measures to mitigate its impact. Ajaero criticized this approach and emphasized the need for governance to be accompanied by social justice for it to have true meaning.
The NLC president called for immediate action to address the ongoing onslaught against the people and workers, stressing that the continued impoverishment of the Nigerian workforce is not a viable punishment option and does not reflect sound economic management. He urged Nigerian workers and the masses to unite and put an end to these policies that disproportionately burden the poor while benefiting the wealthy.
Ajaero emphasized that the NLC must play a crucial role in halting these harmful actions, stating that trade union leaders cannot abandon the people and workers to their fate. He called for resolute action to combat the abuse of workers’ rights and privileges by employers in both the public and private sectors, stressing that such acts of impunity undermine the rights of workers in various workplaces and must not go unchallenged.