NLC warns of strike action, calls for reversal of telecom tariff hike

Earlier, the NLC and the Federal Government established a 10-member committee to review the tariff adjustment within two weeks before any final decision was made.

However, telecom companies proceeded with the increase despite the agreement, prompting the NLC to set a March 1 deadline for a total shutdown of their operations if the tariffs are not reversed.

In a communiqué issued yesterday after a meeting of the NLC Central Working Committee in Lokoja, union leaders, including President Joe Ajaero and General Secretary Emma Ugboaja, accused telecom firms of breaching trust and bypassing due process by implementing the hike before the committee’s review was concluded.

The Congress also criticized the government for failing to shield citizens from corporate exploitation.

As an initial protest measure, the NLC has urged Nigerian workers and the general public to boycott the services of MTN, Airtel, and Glo daily between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM from tomorrow, February 13 until the end of February 2025.

“All workers and citizens are advised to stop purchasing data from these companies, as data pricing has become a major tool for exploiting Nigerians,” the statement read.

The NLC also called for the repatriation of all funds allegedly siphoned abroad by telecom companies.

“If the telecom firms fail to revert to the old tariff by the end of February 2025, a nationwide shutdown of their operations will commence from March 1, 2025,” the statement added.

The NLC has directed its state councils to begin immediate sensitization and mobilization efforts, while its affiliate unions will encourage their members to observe “electronic silence” during the designated boycott hours.

Additionally, the union reviewed the ongoing discussions on the government’s proposed Tax Reform Bills.

While recognizing the need for fiscal reforms, the NLC emphasized that any new tax policies should ease the burden on Nigerian workers rather than worsen the current economic hardships.