Labour to FG: Stop crippling workers with anti-poor policies

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

Few days ago, successful the ancient metropolis of Abeokuta, Ogun State, and the historical Iwe Iroyin property centre, stakeholders gathered for the 1st Quadrennial and 9th National Delegates Conference of the Precision, Electrical and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association PERESSA.

The league provided Labour leaders, and activists among others the accidental to determination retired their thoughts connected the policies of the national authorities arsenic they impact workers and the masses.

Addressing the guests, PERESSA President, Rufus Olusesan, decried perceived anti-poor policies of the national government.

Olusesan who was re-elected unopposed, contended that the economical situation is worsened by government’s nonaccomplishment to tackle insecurity nationwide. 

He said “We cannot spend to disregard the achy realities confronting Nigeria’s system today. Inflation continues to erode the already meagre wages of workers, portion unemployment has reached alarming proportions, leaving families successful despair.

“The rising outgo of surviving has gone beyond the scope of mean workers, threatening household survival, nationalist productivity, and stability. Electricity tariffs person accrued beyond affordability, making it hard for homes and industries to prolong themselves. For manufacturers and small-scale businesses, the unaffordable outgo of powerfulness undermines sustainability and forces galore into collapse.

“The Federal Government indispensable perish the thought of imposing a 5 per cent substance taxation connected petrol, diesel, and different fossil fuels from January 1, 2026, oregon astatine immoderate time, arsenic contained successful the Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025.

“Such a reckless, anti-people argumentation comes astatine a clip erstwhile workers and mean Nigerians are battling unprecedented hardship, spiralling inflation, precocious nutrient prices, wage erosion, and worsening moving conditions. The removal of substance subsidies successful 2023 already pushed pump prices from N197 to betwixt N890 and N1,000 per litre. Adding different 5 percent — astir N50 much per litre — volition lone deepen the endurance situation for millions.

PERESSA notes that the caller connection by Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Tax Reform Committee, dismissing reports of a 5 per cent substance surcharge from January 2026 arsenic “false and misleading,” reflects the deceptive rhetoric Nigerians person travel to expect from authorities officials. Public denials often pacify citizens portion exploitative measures are softly drafted down closed doors. This signifier of gaslighting deepens nationalist distrust.

“The authorities celebrates a caller N70,000 minimum wage, yet its worth is already eroded by inflation, naira devaluation, and endemic corruption. Even the United States has publically stated that specified a wage cannot assistance Nigerians retired of poverty. It is hypocritical for elected officials — who allocate obscene salaries and perks to themselves — to expect workers, lecturers, doctors, and nurses to endure enslaved wages and economical strangulation.

“Fuel subsidy removal and naira devaluation were introduced to boost revenue, yet endemic corruption funnels nationalist wealthiness into backstage pockets portion mill closures and occupation losses propulsion workers deeper into misery. For mean workers, this means an endless conflict against hunger, unpaid schoolhouse fees, and unaffordable aesculapian bills — an beingness connected the margins of survival.

“PERESSA volition proceed to firmly cull the precocious approved National Industrial Relations Policy (NIRP) 2025 by the Federal Executive Council led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This argumentation represents a unsafe escalation successful attempts to suppress morganatic national activities, criminalise the close to strike, and entrench poorness wages nether the guise of “harmonious concern relations.”

Speaking, Deputy General Secretary of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ismail Bello, called connected Labour question to unite against anti-labour employers.

According to him, determination should beryllium nary hiding spot for employers who undermine the close of workers to state of association. No leader has the close to take a national for workers oregon assistance to organise workers. As workers, we indispensable basal against immoderate leader who unde...