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Workers’ Day: Labour laments rising food prices, fuel crisis
Amidst the economic hardship, the government increased the tariff to be paid on electricity by 603 per cent to N225 per kilowatts.
The unions bemoaned how inflation and government policies had worsened the lot of workers across the country as the House of Representatives, Nigerian Bar Association and the National Association of Nigerian Students rejected the increase in electricity tariff.
This year’s Workers’ Day celebration comes in the face of rising inflation and biting fuel scarcity in many parts of the nation coupled with the minimum wage which has remained stagnant at the same level despite the high cost of living in the country.
The labour leaders in Ekiti State said it was a miracle workers were surviving under the present economic reality, citing the inflation, poverty rate, electricity tariff and high fuel prices.
The TUC Chairman, Sola Adigun, said, “The survival of workers and Nigerians as a whole under the present economic hardship and reality is a miracle; That Nigerian workers could survive and still find ways of going to offices, doing their work; I think it takes God’s miracle to do that.
“I want to say that the present economic situation, poverty level, removal of fuel subsidy, the galloping food inflation in the country are threats to the existence of an average Nigerian vis a vis workers. They are threats to our existence and comfort.”
The TUC chairman, however, said that despite the threats “Nigerian workers have a lot of causes to celebrate. We have reasons to celebrate.
As of March 2024, the cost of staple foods like rice, beans, corn, plantains and tomatoes has increased by 25.34 percent to 40.01 percent.
The government raised the electricity tariff to be paid by 603 percent to N225 per kilowatt in the middle of the financial crisis.
The House of Representatives, the Nigerian Bar Association, and the National Association of Nigerian Students criticised the rise in the price of energy, and the unions lamented how inflation and government policies had made life harder for workers nationwide.
The commemoration of Workers' Day this year takes place against the backdrop of bitter fuel shortages in several regions of the country, rising inflation, and a minimum salary that has stayed constant despite high costs of living in the country.
The Ekiti State labour leaders cited the high cost of fuel, the rate of poverty, the rate of inflation, and the energy tariff as reasons why it was a miracle that workers were surviving in the current economic climate.
The TUC Chairman, Sola Adigun, stated: "I think it requires God's miracle to achieve that; that Nigerian workers could survive and yet find methods of getting to offices, performing their work; that is a miracle for workers and Nigerians as a whole amid the current economic difficulties and reality.
The current state of the economy, the degree of poverty, the elimination of fuel subsidies, and the nation's skyrocketing food inflation all pose dangers to the existence of the typical Nigerian worker. They pose a threat to our comfort and very life.
“That we can still survive all these untoward situations is worth celebrating. That you and I are still alive in this country called Nigeria despite all these is worth celebration; That we have opportunities to ask our employers without fear of being arrested, without intimidation, is worth being celebrated.’’
Adigun appreciated the liberty and other constitutional rights enjoyed by workers in the country.
“If you compare the present situation, though we are complaining about the inflation, poverty level, etc, by tomorrow (May 1), in all states across the country, labour leaders will stand up and demand and make complaints.
“I want to tell you, we are so sure that the labour leaders will do all these without being threatened. Some years ago, such could not happen.
“With that, it is worth celebrating although the economic reality, poverty level, rising inflation, increasing fuel prices are not good elements of celebrating Nigerian workers,” the labour leader said.
Speaking in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, Ibrahim Fika, Secretary of NLC in Gombe said that the hardship had been worsened by the government policies.
He said, “Your take home doesn’t take workers home. There is a high cost of living going by the inflation, and high electricity tariff. The fuel hike is terrible. Fuel is not available. We bought for about N1,000 across filling stations it’s more in the black market.”
Nonetheless, the head of the TUC declared that "Nigerian workers have a lot of reasons to celebrate" in spite of the threats. We have cause for joy.
"Difficult to feed"
Dominic Abang, the chairman of the TUC's Akwa Ibom State branch, bemoaned the nation's inflationary tendency and claimed that high inflation has diminished the value of the minimum wage, making Nigerian workers poorer.
He said that the workers' needs for food, medicine, and transportation could not be met by their salary.
"The impact of inflation on labourers is extremely evident; inflation has reduced the value of the N30,000 minimum wage," he contended. You are aware that the elimination of the oil subsidies has led to the fact that the money's current value cannot even purchase anything.
The depreciation of the naira has led to a rise in the poverty rate among labourers because our salaries barely cover our basic necessities for food, transportation, and healthcare, not to mention rising electricity bills. In summary, excessive inflation has made workers poorer than they were in the past.
"As usual, we will gather but most of our workers who are living outside the state capital may not be able to fuel their cars to come for the celebration," Abang remarked when asked how it would effect the May Day celebration.
Some people aren't even able to afford medications for their health. Therefore, the kind of attendance we get will only happen by God's favour.
Given that their living situations had gotten worse due to high rates of poverty and inflation, the NLC in Anambra State stated that the workers had nothing to celebrate.
In a phone conversation with one of our journalists, NLC state publicity secretary Emeka Obiora bemoaned the fact that workers' living conditions were getting worse every day and that nothing significant was being done to improve them by the appropriate authorities.
"Workers have nothing tangible to celebrate," stated Obiora. Sadly, compared to three or four years ago, it seems that this is the worst time for workers and many households in terms of welfare, living conditions, and economic power.
"A large number of labourers have fallen into poverty. This is due to the fact that they had to use all of their monthly salary to pay for food and other necessities on credit before they could collect their salary. Every day, our purchasing power decreases.
"Despite the fact that today's high inflation, fuel prices, and electricity tariffs are lower than they were five years ago, worker earnings are not rising in line with the inflationary trend. Because the majority of workers can no longer afford basic home needs, our living conditions are in jeopardy.
The union representative spoke in favour of a high minimum wage, saying, "The state government in Anambra State stopped giving workers an additional N12,000 on top of our salaries." Our earnings can no longer take us home anymore. It is spent before it comes; many of us live on borrowing for the larger part of the month.
"The development is in no way acceptable. The South-East state governments, as well as the state government in general, ought to set a minimum wage of N240,000.
Idrees Lafene, the Chairman of the NLC in Niger State, claimed that the workers were the ones most affected by the economic downturn.
He lamented the state's labourers' predicament and advised them to forgo the May Day festivities in light of their circumstances.
"How do we start evaluating the fuel price, power tariff, inflation rate, and poverty rate? Things are not going well. The expense of living has been rising steadily. The hardest affected have been the employees.
Indeed, it has put workers' lives at jeopardy. The fact that they are struggling to make ends meet has negatively impacted their mood, but despite this, the May Day celebrations must go on, according to Lafene.
Some employees in the state capital of Minna also voiced their dissatisfaction with the situation in the nation, speculating that the current administration might not be able to resolve the issues facing the nation.
gloomy future
Danjuma Tanko had a negative outlook for Nigerian workers, pointing out that the leaders had been unable to revive the economy.
"When this government took office, its sole goal was to eliminate all of the subsidies that the average person needed to have any kind of purpose in life. As of right now, everything has been removed including electricity and fuel subsidies.
They assert that the wealthy were the ones who benefited from these handouts. However, it is clearly clear that the average man was relying solely on these subsidies.
"As employees, we have lost everything. Only the ruling elite and the wealthy belong in our country. We should take a day off on May Day to reflect on how our politicians have mistreated us and made our lives miserable.
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