The federal government has come under fire from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for authorizing a 50% hike in telephone rates.
Telecom firms (telcos) were given permission by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to raise their tariffs by 50% on Monday.
The decision was described as a “clear assault” on the wellbeing of Nigerian workers by NLC President Joe Ajaero in a statement released on Wednesday.
“This decision is a clear assault on their welfare and an abandonment of the people to corporate fat cats, especially at a time when Nigerian workers and the masses are facing unprecedented economic hardship,” the statement adds.
For everyday communication, employment, and information access, telecommunication services are necessary.
The ordinary Nigerian worker, however, already spends about 10% of their income on telecom costs.
“This translates from N7,000 to an incredible N10,500 a month, or 15% of his salary, for a worker making the present minimum wage of N70,000—a cost that is unsustainable.
The government seems to have no trouble putting corporate profits ahead of the welfare of its constituents, as this hike demonstrates.
Even if inflation and the rising cost of living are reducing people’s purchasing power, it is astonishing that the government took over a year to approve the recent minimum wage for workers while just approving a 50% tariff rise for telecom corporations in less than a month.
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A concerning fact is highlighted by this stark discrepancy: the government seems to be more concerned with the interests of powerful corporations than with the needs of the people and workers it is supposed to represent.
We have to ask: When will the government defend those it pledged to defend? When will the national assembly take charge and make the executive branch responsible for decisions that clearly jeopardize the interests of the majority?
When will Nigerians ever breathe a sigh of relief?
“NLC IS NOT AGAINST TARIFF REVIEWING”
The labor organization is not against tariff evaluations, but it is against the authorized pace of rise, Ajaero explained.
“Therefore, in order to allow for a rational discussion on this foolish hike, we urge the government, the NCC, and the national assembly to halt its implementation,” he stated.
If everyone in the conversation believes that the boost is necessary, we can all work for a more compassionate raise rather than this 50% increase.
“The NLC urges the masses and all Nigerian workers to oppose this unwarranted tariff increase.”
He urged people to get ready for coordinated action, which might include a national boycott of telecoms.
Ajaero stated that the effort would work to reverse the tariff rise, calling it necessary for “our survival, our rights, and our dignity” as a people.
