By Our Correspondent
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has condemned the Federal Government’s approval of a 50% telecom tariff hike, describing it as an unjustifiable burden on struggling Nigerians.
In a statement on Wednesday, NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero criticized the move, facilitated by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), as an assault on workers’ welfare and a glaring example of the government’s alignment with corporate interests over the needs of citizens.
Ajaero warned of collective resistance, including a potential nationwide boycott of telecommunication services, to demand a reversal of the increase.
He highlighted that the hike forces Nigerian workers, who already spend 10% of their wages on telecom services, to allocate up to 15%, a cost he deemed unsustainable given the ₦70,000 minimum wage.
“It is shocking that this approval came within a month, yet it took nearly a year to implement the minimum wage increase for workers,” Ajaero said, urging the government, NCC, and National Assembly to halt the tariff hike and engage in a more reasonable review process.
The NLC reiterated its commitment to protecting workers’ rights and called on Nigerians to unite against policies that deepen poverty and inequality.
