NLC blasts FG over 50% tariff increase, threatens boycott of telecoms services

The leadership of the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) has criticised the Federal Government and telecommunications companies for the 50% increase in data and airtime tariffs across the country.

The organised labour rejected the decision, likening it to an assault on Nigerians' welfare considering the rising cost of living and skyrocketing inflation.

Joe Ajaero, the NLC President who spoke to journalists at the Labour House in Abuja on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, said the increase exemplified the government's apparent preference for prioritising corporate profits over citizens' welfare.

He called for an immediate embargo on the hike's implementation while lampooning National Assembly members for not standing with the Nigerian people regarding specific policies.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) expresses its unequivocal condemnation of the Federal Government’s recent approval, through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), of a 50% increase in telecommunication tariffs.

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“This decision, coming at a time when Nigerian workers and the masses are grappling with unprecedented economic hardship, is a clear assault on their welfare and an abandonment of the people to corporate fat cats,” he said.

NLC demand mass action against tariff increase

Ajaero, who called for mass action against the hike, wondered why critical stakeholders had never engaged in a dialogue before the decision was announced.

“Telecommunication services are essential for daily communication, work, and access to information. Yet, an average Nigerian worker already spends approximately 10% of their wages on telecom charges.

“For a worker earning the current minimum wage of ₦70,000, this means an increase from ₦7,000 to a staggering ₦10,500 per month or 15% of his salary—a cost that is unsustainable.

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“This hike exemplifies the government’s apparent ease in prioritising corporate profits over citizens’ welfare.

“It is shocking that the government approved this 50% tariff increase for telecom companies within a month, yet it took nearly a year to approve the recent minimum wage for workers, despite the rising cost of living and inflation eroding purchasing power.

“This glaring disparity underscores a troubling reality: the government appears more aligned with the interests of wealthy corporations than with the needs of the workers and citizens it is meant to serve.

“We must ask: When will the government stand for the people it swore to protect? When will the National Assembly rise to its responsibility and hold the executive accountable for policies that blatantly undermine the welfare of the majority? When will the common man heave a sigh of relief in Nigeria?

“NLC is not opposed to a tariff review but disagrees with the approved rate of increase. We, therefore, call on the government, the NCC, and the National Assembly to stop the implementation of this ill-advised hike and allow a reasonable conversation about it.

“If the dialogue agrees on the need for the hike, then we can all seek a more humane increase and definitely not this 50% hike,” he added.

Ajaero threatens boycott over telecom tariff increase

The Labour leader warned that the possibility of a nationwide boycott of telecommunication services is on the table to compel the reversal of the decision, which he described as a “punitive increase”.

“The NLC calls on all Nigerian workers and masses to reject this unjustifiable tariff hike. We urge citizens to prepare for collective action, including the possibility of a nationwide boycott of telecommunications services, to compel the reversal of this punitive increase.

“This is for our dignity, our rights, and our survival as a people. The Nigeria Labour Congress remains resolute in defending the interests of Nigerian workers and the masses.

“We will not allow the people to bear the brunt of policies that further entrench poverty and inequality. Together, we will do our best to resist this injustice and demand that government prioritises the interests of its citizens over corporate interests,” the unionist concluded.

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