THE NIGERIAN TRADE Union Congress supported the Nigeria Labour Congress’s concerns on the proposed hike in telecom tariffs, further hikes in electricity rates and tolls on specific roadways.
Festus Osifo, the president of the Trade Union Congress, made this statement at
a news conference in Abuja shortly after the National Administrative Council of the Trade Union Congress met there on Thursday. He also urged the government to take immediate action to address the issues caused by the high exchange rate, which keeps devaluing the Naira on the foreign exchange market.
To prevent industrial unrest, Osifo used the conference to urge the government to continually listen to Labour’s concerns and respond appropriately.
The Federal Government and NLC met on Monday, February 3, 2025, and came up with a Memorandum of Agreement that compelled the Labour Union to postpone its planned countrywide demonstration over the anticipated 50% increase in communication tariffs for two weeks.
The government plans to raise power rates by 66%, while telecoms would raise rates from N12 to N18 per minute call, N4 to N6 for every SMS, and N300 to N400 per gigabyte of data.
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The following was part of an official statement released following the meeting: “NAC discussed the proposed installation of toll gates on a few federal roads and strongly condemned it in its entirety.” It is unacceptable to charge tolls on unpaved, decaying and pothole-filled highways, even if we recognise that tolling is a widely accepted way to raise money for road upkeep.
“The NAC views this as an insult to Nigerians, who are being asked to pay tolls on roads that are in total disrepair. Our highways are death traps unsafe, abandoned, and filled with potholes. Rather than fulfilling its responsibility to fix and maintain these roads, the government is resorting to shameless extortion.
“The Congress, therefore, demands that all roads earmarked for tolling must first be fixed, properly tarred, and repaired to international standards before any discussion on tolling can be entertained.”
TUC said it was concerning that the government ever contemplated raising power rates by 65%, even though the Federal Government just disputed intentions to do so.
Osifo bemoaned the fact that residents were already suffering greatly as a result of the prior rise.
He said, “This proposed increase is not only ill-timed but also a deliberate act of economic oppression against Nigerians, who are already struggling under unbearable economic conditions.
“The improved service quality promised during the last tariff hike, particularly for consumers under the so-called “Band A” category, has not been realized. Most consumers, regardless of their tariff band, continue to live in perpetual darkness.”
TUC observed that the root cause of escalating prices and galloping inflation was the devaluation of the Naira.
Going down memory lane, Osifo said in February 2024, the TUC addressed a world press conference, where it clearly stated that the excessive devaluation of the naira was the primary cause of rising inflation and the continuous increase in the prices of goods and services.
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He said the congress also warned that this trend would worsen inflation in 2024, impacting virtually every sector of the economy and severely affecting the social and economic well-being of Nigerian workers and the masses if the solutions it canvassed were not adopted.
The TUC president said twelve months later, the congress position remained unchanged, alleging that the symptoms of the root cause have manifested clearly.
He warned that if the policies were not reviewed to favour the citizens, the TUC may be compelled to mobilise for mass protest.
“The NAC, on behalf of the Congress, strongly advises the government to refrain from introducing policies that would further exacerbate the current economic hardship faced by hardworking Nigerians.
“If the administration insists on implementing these policies, the TUC will have no choice but to mobilize the working class, civil society, and the oppressed masses for a nationwide action. This level of exploitation is unacceptable. A stitch in time saves nine,” he warned.
