Workers’ Day: Labour laments rising food prices, fuel crisis

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As Nigerian workers commemorate the 2024 May Day on Wednesday (today), organised labour has expressed concern about the rising food prices and fuel scarcity in the country, saying the current situation threatens workers’ survival.

 

The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress leaders, in separate interviews with newsmen on Tuesday, lamented the harsh economic situation which had been compounded by the twin burdens of the electricity tariff hike and high fuel pump prices.

As the unions expressed concern about the economic hardship, queues at fuel stations worsened on Tuesday as a result of petrol scarcity. Many workers and students, who could not get to their destinations, were stranded.

Lamenting the high prices of food, labour leaders said workers were finding it difficult to make ends meet.

The prices of basic food commodities such as rice, beans, maize, plantain, and tomatoes surged by 25.34 per cent to 40.01 per cent as of March 2024.

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.

“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.

The Chairman of the TUC, Akwa Ibom State chapter, Dominic Abang, lamented the inflationary trend in the country, saying Nigerian workers were poorer due to the high inflation, which he said had eroded the value of the minimum wage.

He said the workers’ salaries could not pay for their health, food and transportation needs.

He argued, “The effect of inflation on the workers is very glaring; the value of the N30 000 minimum wage has been eroded by inflation. The current value of that money cannot even buy anything and you know that the removal of oil subsidy has caused escalation of prices of food and transportation.

“The depreciation of the naira has increased the poverty rate among workers because the money we earn as salary cannot even pay for our healthcare needs, transportation or feed us talk less of electricity tariffs that have been increased. So, on a general note, the workers are poorer now than they used to be because of high inflation.

On how it would affect the May Day celebration, Abang said, “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.

“Some cannot even buy drugs to keep healthy. So, it’s going to be by the grace of God that we would have the kind of attendance that we used to have before.”

The NLC in Anambra State insisted that the workers had nothing to celebrate due to the high poverty rate and high inflation which had worsened their living conditions.

Speaking to newsmen on the telephone, the state Publicity Secretary of the NLC, Emeka Obiora, lamented that the living conditions of workers had continued to worsen daily without the relevant authorities doing anything impactful to alleviate the situation.

Obiora said, “Workers have nothing tangible to celebrate. Unfortunately, this appears to be the worst moment for workers and many households in terms of welfare, living conditions and economic power, unlike it was three to four years ago.

“Many workers have been plunged into poverty. This is because before they receive their monthly salaries, they must have exhausted it on purchasing food and other basic needs on credit. Our purchasing powers keep depreciating daily.

“The high inflation, electricity tariff and fuel prices today are not what it used to be five years ago, yet, workers’ salaries are not increasing in commensurate proportion with the trend of inflation. Our living conditions are being threatened as most workers can no longer afford basic household needs.’’

Making a case for a high minimum wage, the labour leader stated, “Workers in Anambra State used to get additional N12,000 on top of our salaries, but the state government had stopped it. Our income 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 not palatable at all. The state government and in fact, the state governments in the South-East should consider nothing less than N240,000 as a minimum wage.”