The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has vowed to embark on a nationwide protest if telecommunications companies fail to reverse the recently implemented 50% tariff hike.
The decision was announced following a Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting held in Lokoja, Kogi State, on Tuesday, February 11, 2025.
The NLC condemned the tariff increase as a betrayal of trust and an affront to negotiation principles, saying that the increment disregards an earlier agreement reached with the Federal Government and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The labour body recalled that a 10-man committee had been set up to review the matter within two weeks before any final decision on a new tariff structure was made.
As part of its resistance strategy, the NLC has directed Nigerian workers and willing citizens to boycott the services of MTN, Airtel, and Glo daily between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM from February 13 until the end of the month.
The congress also urged citizens to suspend data purchases from these telecom providers, which it accused of exploiting Nigerians.
Furthermore, the NLC demanded the repatriation of funds siphoned out of Nigeria by these companies and issued a final deadline of February 29, 2025, for a tariff reversal.
Failure to comply, it warned, would lead to a total nationwide shutdown of telecom services starting March 1, 2025.
The NLC has also directed its state councils and affiliate unions to begin mass sensitization and mobilization of their members and the general public.
It called on civil society organizations and stakeholders to join the movement against what it described as an exploitative tariff regime that benefits the rich at the expense of ordinary Nigerians.
In addition to the telecom tariff issue, the CWC deliberated on the proposed Tax Reform Bills currently under government consideration.
While acknowledging the need for fiscal adjustments, the NLC insisted that any new tax policies must not impose additional hardship on workers.
It pledged to engage relevant stakeholders to ensure that tax reforms are fair, transparent, and just.
