5% fuel consumption tax: TUC issues 14-day strike notice

..It’ll worsen socio-economic hardship, CANMPEF warns

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to retreat its projected 5 percent taxation connected petroleum products oregon look a nationwide strike.

TUC President, Festus Osifo, successful a connection connected Monday, described the argumentation arsenic “economic wickedness” that would deepen the suffering of already overburdened Nigerians.

According to the statement: “The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) outrightly rejects the Federal Government’s planned 5 percent taxation connected petroleum products. This reckless connection is thing but an enactment of economical wickedness against already overburdened Nigerians.

“Let it beryllium clear: workers and citizens are inactive reeling from the pains of subsidy removal, skyrocketing substance prices, nutrient inflation, and a collapsing naira. To present present different levy connected petroleum products is to deliberately compound suffering, cripple businesses, and propulsion millions of citizens deeper into poverty.

“Government cannot proceed to usage Nigerians arsenic sacrificial lambs for its economical experiments. Instead of offering relief, jobs, and solutions, it has chosen to further compression citizens dry. This is unacceptable!

“The TUC hereby urges the Federal Government to instantly halt this anti-people program successful its entirety. Failure to bash truthful volition permission america with nary enactment but to mobilize Nigerian workers and the masses for a full nationwide resistance. Strike enactment is firmly connected the array if authorities dares to disregard this informing and spell up to instrumentality this policy.

“Accordingly, the TUC directs each its authorities councils, affiliates, and structures nationwide to stay vigilant and watchful and to hold for further connection that whitethorn culminate successful decisive enactment should authorities proceed to disregard the corporate volition of the people.

“We besides telephone connected our allies—civil nine organizations, nonrecreational bodies, pupil unions, marketplace associations, religion leaders, and each patriotic Nigerians—to basal successful solidarity with america successful this struggle. Together, we indispensable defy policies that question to further impoverish citizens and owe our future.”

It added “Enough is enough. Nigerians merit economical justice, not endless punishment.”

Meanwhile, the Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Employers Federation (CANMPEF) has besides warned of the wider economical consequences of the projected tax.

Executive Secretary of CANMPEF, Mr. Femi Oke, told Vanguard: “The 5% surcharge connected refined petroleum products volition pb to an summation successful vigor outgo for manufacturing firms and summation successful transport cost, which volition effect successful higher prices of cultivation products specified arsenic food. We implore the authorities to guarantee that immoderate accrued gross is utilized to amended infrastructure and heighten the modular of surviving of the people.”

The station 5% substance depletion tax: TUC issues 14-day onslaught notice appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.