Premium Breadmakers Association of Nigeria has threatened to begin a four-day warning strike beginning from Thursday July 21, 2022.
The bread makers said that they decided to embark on the warning strike to protest increasing prices of baking materials in the country.
They said the continuous increase in the prices of baking materials had rendered it impossible for bakeries in Nigeria to continue to operate.
PBAN comprises owners, Managing Directors and partners of premium bakeries in Nigeria.
PBAN President, Emmanuel Onuorah and the association’s Public & Industrial Relations Officer, Babalola Thomas, also urged the Federal Government to stop charging 15 per cent Wheat development levy on wheat import.
They also requested NAFDAC to review downwards the N154,000 penalty charged bakeries for late renewal of certificates.
The Association also urged government to grant its members access to grants and soft loans being given by the Central Bank of Nigeria to Minor, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises.
PBAN further demanded stoppage of multi-agencies regulation of the breadmaking industry.
The Association said, “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.
“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 breadmaking 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 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 suggestions we put forward for survival of the breadmaking industry has not yielded the desired result.
“Therefore, the withdrawal of service is the only way we believe we can use to get to Federal Government and Nigerians and let them know our plight and how difficult it has been with the breadmaking industry in Nigeria.”