The Revolutionary Socialist Movement (RSM) has urged the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to rally workers in opposition to what it describes as the “anti-people policies” of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Naijaonpoint reports that the NLC has scheduled a National Executive Council meeting next week to decide its next steps.
The RSM criticized the recent fuel price hike, marking the third increase in less than a year, amidst growing economic hardships faced by Nigerians.
In a statement released on Sunday, Comrade Salako Kayode, the group’s Publicity Secretary, emphasized that inflation has nullified the impact of the recently approved minimum wage, calling on the NLC and TUC to organize nationwide strikes and protests.
RSM highlighted the need for establishing a defense committee for workers across all sectors to resist government intimidation.
Citing recent reports, the group noted that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has fully deregulated the downstream sector, leading to a surge in petrol prices, now ranging from N998 per litre in Lagos to N1,100 per litre in Abuja and other regions.
The movement argued that these price increases further demonstrate the Tinubu administration’s inability to address the nation’s challenges.
“The policies implemented by this government have plunged millions of Nigerians into extreme poverty,” the RSM declared, condemning the fuel price hike and demanding its immediate reversal.
The group stressed that Nigeria’s abundant crude oil reserves should be enough to meet domestic demand, but the country’s four refineries remain non-operational.
It accused successive administrations of misappropriating billions of dollars allocated for refinery repairs, resulting in massive corruption.
RSM also criticized the government’s narrative that the opening of Aliko Dangote’s refinery would lower fuel prices, stating that the opposite has occurred.
“This demonstrates that privatization cannot resolve Nigeria’s economic crisis,” the statement added.
The movement described the government’s actions as “cruel” and “disrespectful to its citizens,” urging Nigerians to resist these policies.
It called on the NLC and TUC to move beyond rhetoric and mobilize for mass strikes, asserting that inflation has eroded the benefits of the new minimum wage.
NNPCL had increased fuel prices across the country, with costs rising to N1,030 per litre in Abuja, N998 in Lagos, and up to N1,075 in parts of the South-South region.