The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) is urging citizens to avoid using their devices for at least three hours daily, escalating its opposition to the increased tariffs. The move follows the union's postponed February strike plans, which were suspended after discussions with regulatory officials.
"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," the NLC said in a statement.
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The price increase emerged after the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) approved operators like MTN and Airtel to raise their airtime and data tariffs.
While a price adjustment was anticipated, the regulatory body's decision three weeks ago to cap the increase at 50% has sparked widespread criticism. The telecom companies argue the increases are necessary to offset rising operational costs.
The NLC particularly criticised the government's swift approval of the tariff increase compared to its delayed response to workers' needs.
“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,” the union said.
While not entirely opposed to a tariff review, the NLC disputes the magnitude of the increase.
The union is calling for intervention from multiple stakeholders, stating, “We call on the government, the NCC and the National Assembly to stop the implementation of this ill-advised hike to allow a reasonable conversation around it. If the dialogue agrees on the need for the hike, then, we can all seek a more humane increase and definitely not this 50% hike.”
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