The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced plans to hold a nationwide protest on Tuesday, February 4, in opposition to the recent increase in telecommunication tariffs.
According to reports, the decision was made during the ongoing National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting of the NLC.
The protest is intended to serve as a warning to the government, signaling that workers will strongly resist the tariff hike, which is feared to exacerbate the already dire poverty situation in the country.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) recently approved a 50% increase in mobile network tariffs, sparking widespread criticism.
On January 22, the NLC formally rejected the tariff hike, expressing concerns about its negative impact on citizens’ economic well-being.
According to NLC, the 50 percent tariff hike approval, “at a time 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.”
In a statement titled “50% Telecom tariff hike: Another burden too harsh!” NLC’s President, Joe Ajaero, said: “The NLC expresses its unequivocal condemnation of the Federal Government’s recent approval, through the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, of a 50 percent increase in telecommunication tariffs.
“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.
“Telecommunication services are essential for daily communication, work, and access to information. Yet, an average Nigerian worker already spends approximately 10 percent of their wages on telecom charges.
“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 percent of his salary — a cost that is unsustainable.”
