The Trade Union Congress (TUC) urges the Federal Government to move beyond mere promises and take concrete actions to alleviate the economic challenges faced by Nigerians.
Since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May, the removal of the fuel subsidy and the floatation of the naira have led to a threefold increase in petrol prices and escalated living costs.
Despite government efforts to address the impacts through discussions with organized labor, TUC President Festus Osifo expresses concern about the prevailing hardships in the country and calls for decisive actions.
Osifo conveyed these sentiments during an interview on Friday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“As an average Nigerian, one of the things you spend your hard-earned money on is actually food. The government must do something,” the TUC chief added.
“We’ve had a lot of rhetoric: ‘We’ve declared a state of emergency on food security’. We have had a lot of meetings and summits on issues like this. Nigerians are tired of meetings, summits, and rhetoric. Today, the cost of items in the market has skyrocketed and gone over the roof.”
Labour had reached an agreement with the Federal Government over the rising cost of living in the wake of the subsidy removal.
But the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the TUC have issued an ultimatum to the government to fulfill its end of the deal.
In the wake of the prevailing hardship, government officials have repeatedly urged Nigerians to be patient over the reforms, which Tinubu says will bring in more foreign investment to Africa’s largest economy.
But the short-term impact is hitting Nigerians hard: Inflation was at 28.92 percent in December, with food costs at 33.93 percent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
