29
Jan
Jan
NLC REJECTS 50% TELECOMS TARIFF HIKE, CALLS FOR NATIONWIDE PROTEST
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Nicolas Adekeye / 3 months
- 0
- 2 min read
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly condemned the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) decision to approve a 50% increase in telecommunications tariffs, describing it as “insensitive, unjustifiable, and a direct assault on Nigerian workers and the general populace.” The NLC’s National Administrative Council (NAC) reached this resolution after an emergency meeting held on January 29, 2025, to discuss pressing national issues. The council rejected the tariff hike, citing its harsh impact on citizens already burdened by economic hardship. According to Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC, “The decision is insensitive, unjustifiable, and a direct assault on Nigerian workers and the general populace, who are already burdened by worsening economic hardship foisted on them by policies of government which was no fault of theirs.” In response to the tariff hike, the NLC will embark on a nationwide mass rally on February 4, 2025. The rally aims to serve as a warning on the dangers of imposing such an unfair increase on a struggling population earning a minimum wage of only N70,000. The NLC has directed all its affiliates and state councils to begin full mobilization in preparation for the nationwide protest rally. The Congress calls on all Nigerian workers, the informal sector, and the general public to stand in solidarity against this unjust policy. The NLC demands an immediate suspension of the 50% tariff hike and calls on the Federal Government, the NCC, and the National Assembly to engage in meaningful dialogue with critical stakeholders to review the proposed tariff adjustment. Comrade Ajaero emphasized that the NLC will escalate its actions, including a nationwide boycott of telecommunication services and further mass actions, if the government fails to heed their demands. “We will not relent in our struggle against policies that undermine the welfare and dignity of our people,” he said.