The controversies surrounding the hike in telecommunications tariff may not have waned, as the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress has drawn the battle line, urging Nigerian workers and other willing citizens to boycott the services of MTN, AIRTEL, and GLO daily between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm until the end of February 2025.
The decision was adopted by the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) after their meeting in Lokoja, Kogi State, on Tuesday. Labour also threatened that if the telecommunications companies fail to revert to the old tariff by the end of February 2025, a total shutdown of their operations nationwide will commence from March 1, 2025.
The CWC also deliberated on other pressing national issues, including, the proposed Tax Reform Bills, as well as the rollout of the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses for the North Central Zone of Nigeria.
In the communique signed by Joe Ajaero, President of NLC and Emmanuel Ugboaja, Secretary General of NLC respectively, condemned the Federal Government and the Nigerian Communications Commission for going ahead to implement a 50% hike in tariff despite an initial agreement reached on the matter.
Ajaero said the CWC received with grave concern the news that telecommunications companies have commenced the implementation of a 50% tariff hike today, despite an earlier agreement reached with the Federal Government and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
He went down memory lane, recalling that a 10-man committee had been constituted to deliberate on the matter within two weeks and report back before any final decision would be made on the new telecom tariff structure.
Ajaero described the latest implementation of hike in telcos tariff as a further demonstration of Regulatory capture and impotence in the midst of corporate onslaught and the continuing abandonment of workers and masses to corporate fat cats by the government. He regretted that this unwarranted and premature tariff hike demands an immediate response from our collective resolve since government clearly favours the rich against the people. On the proposed tax reform bills, NLC said any tax policies that is not designed to alleviate the burdens on Nigerian workers is not sustainable.
Source: The nation
