Labour unions have threatned to shut down the operations of all the telecommunications companies if the implementation of the 50% tariff hike on its services is not reversed before the end of February.
While the Trade Union Congress (TUC) said the next line of action would be decided at its NEC meeting, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed Nigerian workers and citizens to boycott the services of major telecommunications providers.
Specifically, the NLC said Nigerians should abandon MTN, Airtel and Glo services daily between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM starting Thursday, February 13.
The decision was announced in Lokoja, Kogi State by the President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, who was flanked by the General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja after the Central Working Committee meeting of the Congress.
“If the telecommunications companies fail to revert to the old tariff by the end of February 2025, a total shutdown of their operations nationwide will commence from March 1, 2025,” the Congress said in a communiqué afterwards.
On Tuesday, MTN began the implemention of the 50 per cent tariff hike as approved by the NCC, with other operators expected to follow suit shortly.
The House of Representatives had earlier directed the telecom regulator and Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy to halt the tariff increase, citing concerns about the impact on citizens who are already grappling with inflation and hardship.
Checks by our correspondent showed that the 50 percent tariff hike by MTN has not been reversed, as its data subscription packages still reflect a 50 percent increase.
Commenting on the development, NLC President described the sudden implementation of a 50% hike in telecom tariffs as a betrayal of trust and an affront to the Nigerian people.
Ajaero said the tariff increase was introduced despite an earlier agreement between telecom companies, the federal government, and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), where a 10-man committee was established to review the proposed tariff adjustments and submit recommendations within two weeks.
NLC said the telecom operators, however, proceeded with the hike before the committee’s report was finalised, a move it condemned as “a betrayal of trust, an affront to the principles of negotiation, and a direct slap on the government and its institutions.”
It added that, “This unwarranted and premature tariff hike demands an immediate response from our collective resolve since the government clearly favours the rich against the people.
“The CWC demands an immediate reversal of the tariff hike, which took effect today, and insists that the companies revert to the previous tariff until the committee completes its deliberations and reaches a conclusive agreement.
“As a first step in resisting this arbitrary tariff hike, the CWC has directed that, beginning Thursday, February 13, 2025, Nigerian workers and other willing citizens shall boycott the services of MTN, AIRTEL, and GLO,”
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The NLC urged civil society organisations, student groups, and the general public to support the boycott as a demonstration of solidarity against economic hardship.
“This is not just about the tariff hike; it is about defending the economic rights of all Nigerians. We must stand together against corporate greed and government indifference,” the Congress stated.
