The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the federal government’s recent approval of a 50% increase in telecommunication tariffs, describing the move as a “harsh burden” on Nigerian workers and citizens.
In a statement issued by NLC president Comrade Joe Ajaero yesterday in Abuja, the labour centre condemned the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) decision as an “assault on the welfare of the people” and a betrayal of public trust in favour of corporate interests.
Ajaero lamented the disproportionate impact of the hike, particularly on low-income earners.
According to the statement, an average Nigerian earning the minimum wage of N70,000 would see their monthly telecom expenses jump from N7,000 to N10,500, accounting for 15% of their income, as NLC deemed the cost unsustainable under current economic conditions.
The congress expressed frustration over the government’s rapid approval of the telecom hike, contrasting it with the lengthy implementation of the new minimum wage, which took nearly a year despite inflation and rising living costs.
This disparity, the statement noted, unravelled a troubling preference for corporate profits over citizens’ welfare.
While the NLC acknowledged the need for periodic tariff reviews, it argued that the 50% increase was excessive and called for an immediate halt to its implementation.
The labour centre urged the federal government, NCC, and the national assembly to dialogue and agree on a more reasonable and humane adjustment.
The statement reads in parts, “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.
This hike exemplifies the government’s apparent ease in prioritising corporate profits over citizens’ welfare”.
“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?” Ajaero queried.
He added,” 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 telecommunication services, to compel the reversal of this punitive increase. This is for our dignity, rights, and survival as a people”.
