Fuel price increases testing our limits – Labour

Organised Labour has said the latest increase in the pump price of petrol was pushing Nigerians to the limit.

It also warned that there could be an unexpected reaction of the citizens to the frequent hike in the price of the product.

This is even as an employer group, the Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Employer’s Federation, CANMPEF, said the petrol price increases, occasioned by subsidy removal, had led to an increase in transportation/logistics, production costs, the decline in household income and purchasing power.

Labour’s warning came on a day the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, said its members wait for days to load petrol from Dangote Refinery in Lagos, despite paying N40 billion to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL.

It also said Nigerians can pay less for the product if marketers were allowed to buy directly from the refinery.

One of the labour leaders, who attended the October 16 meeting with the Federal Government at the office of the Secretary to the Government of Federation, SGF, told Vanguard on condition of anonymity that government officials are gradually pushing the masses to revolt against the establishment.

He said: “We had thought that the Federal Government will halt the incessant increase in the pump price of petrol after our October 16 meeting, where we made the government representatives, led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation understand the level of frustration, hunger, misery and general restiveness across the country.

‘’Sincerely, we thought the government would give the people a breathing space and suspend the increases. The government is testing the patience of Nigerians. I can tell you that government is pushing the citizens to a boiling point.

“This latest increase yesterday (Tuesday, October 29) is one increase too many and a bitter pill to swallow. The increases are pushing the citizens to the limit.