By Cross Udo, Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has berated the Federal Government over the 50 percent telecom tariff hike, tagging it as an additional burden too heavy to bear by the suffering masses.
In a statement yesterday, the President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, decried the hike, stressing that the Federal Government’s recent approval through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) came at a time when Nigerian workers and the masses were grappling with unprecedented economic hardship.
Ajaero also threatened that all Nigerian workers and masses would unite to reject the unjustifiable tariff hike.
He said, “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, our rights, and our survival as a people.”
*Says corporate cartels being prioritised above citizens’ welfare
He also described the decision as an apparent assault on workers’ welfare and an abandonment of the people to corporate fat cats.
According to Ajaero, telecommunication services are essential for daily communication, work, and access to information. Yet, an average Nigerian worker already spends approximately 10 per cent of their wages on telecom charges.
Lamenting the situation, the NLC President argued that for a worker earning the current minimum wage of N70,000, this means an increase from N7,000 to a staggering N10,500 per month or 15 per cent of his salary is an unsustainable cost.
He said the hike exemplified the government’s apparent ease in prioritizing corporate profits over citizens’ welfare.
Ajaero said, “It is shocking that the government approved this 50% tariff increase for telecom companies within a month, yet 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 commoner heave a sigh of relief in Nigeria?
He insisted that NLC is not opposed to a tariff review but disagrees with the approved rate of increase.
However, he urged the Federal government, the NCC, and the National Assembly to stop implementing this ill-advised hike and allow a reasonable conversation about it.
He said, “If the dialogue agrees on the need for the hike, then we can all seek a more humane increase and not this 50 percent hike.
“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, 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.”
