BY BONNY AMADI
• Says FG sacrificed citizens’ welfare for corporate profit
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has vowed to resist the recent 50 per cent hike on telecommunication tariffs.
The union accused the Nigerian government of prioritizing corporate profits over the welfare of its citizens.
Additionally, the NLC criticized lawmakers for failing to support Nigerians in holding the government accountable for its policies.
This position was stated by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, while speaking with journalists at Labour House, Abuja.
The NLC asked why the government increased tariff amid soaring inflation and high cost of living.
“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 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,” he said.
The NLC called 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 telecommunications services, to compel the reversal of this punitive increase”.
“This is for our dignity, our rights, and our survival as a peo- ple. The Nigeria Labour Congress remains resolute in defending the interests of Nigerian workers and the masses,” he said.
He said, “Telecommunication services are essential for daily communication, work, and access to information. Yet, an average Nigerian worker already spends approximately 10% 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% of his salary— a cost that is unsustainable.
“This hike exemplifies the government’s apparent ease in prioritizing corporate profits over citizens’ welfare.
“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 mini- mum wage for workers, despite the rising cost of living and inflation eroding purchasing power.
