Since Wednesday, 1 March, thousands of Lagosian workers have faced huge price increases for their journeys to work. The APC government of Lagos state has increased the cost of travelling on the BRT buses by 50%. The transport fares from Ikorodu to TBS have increased from N200 to N300.
The APC pretends that it is the friend of the workers. The Federal government has promised to increase spending on health and education and provide a social wage for the poorest people in Nigeria. But the huge increases in the cost of travelling on the BRT buses is a major attack on the working-class of Lagos.
Last year many people suffered from huge increases in the cost of fuel, electricity and basic foodstuffs like rice. The cost of kerosene has gone up tenfold from 50 naira to 500 naira and eat. Eventually the NLC put forward a claim to increase the minimum wage to at least 56,000 naira a month, but they have yet to organise any action to back up this claim.
Given that the recession, and the huge inflation over the last year or so any reasonable government would not have increased the price of transport. The NLC must not accept this provocative action and should organise action across the country to demand an immediate increase in the minimum wage.
- No to the increased cost of BRT buses!
- A minimum wage and 56,000 naira a month now!
- The NLC must provide leadership and action!!
by Tokunboh Olakunle
