The Trade Union Congress (TUC) fully rejected the federal governments new 5% tax policy, further threatening to call a nationwide strike within two weeks if the Federal government fails to revoke the proposed five per cent tax on petroleum products.
TUC president general Festus Osifo and secretary general Nuhu Toro said in a statement on Monday that the charge will make matters worse at a time when people are still suffering from the withdrawal of the petrol subsidy, rising food costs and a declining value of the naira.
“Let it be clear: workers and citizens are still reeling from the pains of subsidy removal, skyrocketing fuel prices, food inflation, and a collapsing naira. To now introduce another levy on petroleum products is to deliberately compound suffering, cripple businesses, and push millions of citizens deeper into poverty,” the statement reads.
“Government cannot continue to use Nigerians as sacrificial lambs for its economic experiments. Instead of offering relief, jobs, and solutions, it has chosen to further squeeze citizens dry. This is unacceptable!
“The TUC hereby urge the Federal Government to immediately stop this anti-people’s plan in its entirety. Failure to do so will leave us with no option but to mobilize Nigerian workers and the masses for a total nationwide resistance. Strike action is firmly on the table if government dares to ignore this warning and go ahead to implement this policy.”
TUC leaders told their state councils, affiliates, and structures nationwide to be vigilant and await additional orders, which could result in forceful action if the government decides to ignore the collective will of the people.
In addition, they urged market organisations, student unions, professional associations, civil society organisations, and religious leaders to support the union in opposing “policies that seek to further impoverish citizens and mortgage our future.”
“Enough is enough. Nigerians deserve economic justice, not endless punishment,” the union leaders added.
On July 25, TheCable reported that the new tax law has imposed a 5 percent surcharge on chargeable fossil fuel products.
The Tax Act states that a fossil fuel product is liable for taxation as soon as it is supplied, sold, or paid for.
However, the tax charge has sparked worries that the clause would put Nigerians through even more hardship.
The Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee clarified on September 6 that the new tax laws’ 5% gasoline surcharge is not a new tax imposed by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
According to the committee, the surcharge was simply reiterated in the new tax statute for the sake of uniformity and transparency, having been in place since the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (Amendment) statute, 2007.
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