Bakers embark on 4-day warning strike over high cost of baking materials

Bakers, under the aegis of the Premium Breadmakers Association of Nigeria (PBAN), say they will embark on a four-day warning strike from Thursday.

The association had threatened to shut down operations over a hike in diesel price.

In a statement on Wednesday, the association said the decision was in protest against the increasing prices of baking materials, adding that it has become impossible to operate bakeries in Nigeria.

PBAN also asked the federal government to stop charging a 15 percent wheat development levy on imports.

It also requested a downward review of the N154,000 penalties charged to bakeries on late renewal of certificates by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

It further called on the government to grant members access to grants and soft loans under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) programmes.

“Operating a bakery in Nigeria has become near impossible as the incessant increase in the prices of baking materials and diesel rendered the industry comatose. Bakeries are mostly running on huge losses, and this is no longer sustainable,” the statement reads.

“Bread is a staple food and one of the cheapest ‘grab and go’ food that is available for both the poor and rich. It, therefore, behoves the federal government to be mindful of this and ensure the survival and sustainability of the industry.

“In a move to ensure the survival of the premium bread making industry in Nigeria, we have decided to embark on a withdrawal of services beginning from Thursday 21st July 2022 for four days in the first instance and where no intervention from the government, we shall escalate the duration of the withdrawal.

“Our efforts to ensure the survival of the industry led to a series of meetings with the federal ministry of industry, trade and investment, Abuja (FMITI) with our sister association in the breadmaking industry in 2021. Our best attempts to ensure that the suggestions we put forward for the survival of the breadmaking industry have not yielded the desired result.

“Therefore, the withdrawal of service is the only way we believe we can use to get to the federal government and Nigerians and let them know our plight and how difficult it has been with the breadmaking industry in Nigeria.”