The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has condemned the recent 50% hike in telecom tariffs, calling it an unjust economic burden on Nigerians.
TUC President, Comrade Festus Osifo, expressed the union’s strong opposition during an interview on Politics Today with Channels Television on Thursday. He warned that the TUC would embark on a strike if the Federal Government does not reverse the decision.
This stance was adopted following a meeting of the union’s National Administrative Council (NAC) earlier in the day.
When asked if the union was prepared to take to the streets in protest, Osifo responded emphatically, “Yes! Correct!”
Regarding the timeline for action, he explained, “Today’s NAC meeting was to raise awareness. Next, we will hold a Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting and then a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which will determine the exact date and course of action.”
Osifo urged the government to focus on addressing foreign exchange management issues, which he identified as the root cause of rising costs, rather than imposing tariff increases.
“If we understand the root cause of the problem, why focus on the symptoms? The continuous price hikes are a direct result of FX mismanagement,” he said.
While acknowledging the operational challenges faced by telecom companies, Osifo argued that economic stability should be prioritized to lower costs rather than resorting to frequent tariff hikes.
The tariff increase has sparked backlash from labour unions and civil society groups. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had initially planned a protest for Tuesday but suspended it after discussions with government representatives.
Following the talks, a 10-member committee—comprising five representatives each from the government and the NLC—was set up to review the issue, with a report expected within two weeks.