KEY POINTS
- PERESSA warns fuel tax will worsen hardship.
- Nigeria labour union says ₦70,000 wage is already devalued.
- Labour leaders reject new industrial relations policy.
In Abeokuta, Ogun State, labour leaders gathered at the Iwe Iroyin press centre for the 1st Quadrennial and 9th National Delegates Conference of the Precision, Electrical and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association (PERESSA), where government policies came under sharp criticism.
PERESSA President Rufus Olusesan, re-elected unopposed, accused the federal government of worsening Nigeria’s economic crisis with what he called anti-poor measures and a failure to tackle insecurity.
Union slams proposed fuel tax
Olusesan urged the government to abandon plans to impose a 5 percent fuel tax under the Nigeria Tax Administration Act of 2025, warning it would further worsen the survival crisis already triggered by fuel subsidy removal and naira devaluation. He also noted pump prices have risen from ₦197 in 2023 to as high as ₦1,000 per litre.
Minimum wage eroded by inflation
He also criticized the new ₦70,000 minimum wage, saying inflation, devaluation, and corruption have already eroded its value. He argued it was hypocritical for politicians to enjoy lavish pay while ordinary workers faced hunger, rising school fees, and unaffordable medical bills.
Nigeria labour union vows to resist anti-union policy
Olusesan said PERESSA rejects the recently approved National Industrial Relations Policy, describing it as an attempt to suppress unions and criminalize strikes.
Furthermore supporting the call, Nigeria Labour Congress Deputy General Secretary Ismail Bello urged workers to unite against anti-labour employers who deny freedom of association.
