The Precision, Electrical, and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association (PERESSA) has expressed strong support for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)-led nationwide protest scheduled for Wednesday, December 17, 2025, citing the government’s failure to protect lives and property across the country.

In a statement signed by its National President, Comrade Rufus Olusesan, PERESSA described the protest as “not only timely but imperative,” accusing the government of neglecting its fundamental responsibility to ensure citizens’ safety amid worsening insecurity and economic hardship.

The union emphasized that insecurity is pervasive, affecting all regions and communities regardless of religion or ethnicity, and called on workers and youth to unite in pressuring the government to fulfill its duties.

Beyond security concerns, PERESSA criticized the government’s economic policies, describing them as anti-poor and rooted in neo-liberal capitalist approaches that have eroded wages, worsened poverty, and contributed to rising criminality.

“Nigeria today is witnessing an unprecedented collapse of living standards. Inflation has become a daily burden on survival, wages have been viciously eroded, and the purchasing power of workers has been reduced to a shadow of its former self,” the union said, citing subsidy removals, electricity tariff hikes, the floating of the naira, and rising energy costs as examples.

PERESSA also warned against the planned implementation of a new tax regime in January 2026, arguing that it would further impoverish workers, devastate small and medium-scale businesses, and deepen inequality.

The association called on the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to join forces with the NLC, and urged labour unions to collaborate with civil society organizations and progressive groups like the Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) and Education Rights Campaign (ERC) to challenge government policies favoring the elite.

“The December 17 protest should be a mobilising ground for the struggles ahead, especially as we approach January 2026 when the new tax regime will commence,” PERESSA stated, vowing to stand with Nigerian workers in the fight for security, fair wages, equitable taxation, and an economy that serves the majority.