NLC orders boycott of Glo, MTN, Airtel, others over 50% tariff hike implementation

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for the immediate reversal of the 50 per cent telecommunications tariff hike. Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC, made this demand in a communiqué signed on Wednesday in Abuja by Mr Emmanuel Ugboaja, General Secretary of the NLC. The communiqué was issued after the NLC’s Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting, which was held in Lokoja, Kogi State. It is important to recall that the NLC’s National Administrative Council (NAC) had declared a one-day mass rally at all Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) offices across the country in response to the proposed 50 per cent tariff hike. The Federal Government and the NLC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which established a 10-man committee to deliberate on the matter within two weeks and report on the key concerns raised by Congress. However, the telecom companies went ahead and implemented the new tariff hike. Ajaero condemned the action by the telecommunications companies, calling it a betrayal of trust. “It is an affront to the principles of negotiation, a direct slap on the government and its institutions, and a disdain for the Nigerian people,” he said. The CWC described the tariff hike as further demonstrating regulatory capture and accusing the government of favouring the rich over the people. The CWC also called for an immediate reversal of the tariff hike, which took effect that day. It insisted that the companies return to the previous tariff until the committee had completed its deliberations and reached a conclusive agreement. As a first step in resisting the arbitrary tariff hike, the CWC has directed Nigerian workers and other willing citizens to boycott the services of MTN, AIRTEL, and GLO daily between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. This boycott will start on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, and continue until the end of February 2025. Ajaero also urged workers and citizens to suspend the purchase of data from these companies, which he said had become tools for exploiting Nigerian citizens. He demanded the repatriation of all funds siphoned out of the country by these telecom companies. He further warned that if the telecommunications companies do not revert to the old tariff by the end of February 2025, their operations nationwide will be completely shut down on March 1, 2025. “All NLC state councils are directed to begin immediate sensitisation and mobilisation of their members and the general public within their jurisdictions. “We also urge all NLC affiliate unions to mobilise their members across the country to observe electronic silence during the designated hours,” he added.