The Nigeria Labour Congress has called for a boycott of mobile telecom services beginning Thursday, February 13, 2025, in protest against the 50% tariff hike recently approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission.
The decision follows a meeting of the NLC’s Central Working Committee in Kogi State on Tuesday, where the union voiced its opposition to the increase.
The Union stated this in a communique jointly signed by its President, Joe Ajaero, and General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja.
The NLC expressed shock that telecom operators began implementing the 50% tariff increase despite an agreement with the Federal Government.
The union argued that the hike contradicts prior commitments made to prevent such an increase, fueling its decision to call for the boycott.
“As a first step in resisting this arbitrary tariff hike, the CWC has directed that, beginning Thursday, February 13, 2025, Nigerian workers and other willing citizens shall boycott the services of MTN, AIRTEL, and GLO daily between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM until the end of February 2025,” the Union stated.
Along with the telecom service boycott, the NLC has urged all workers to suspend the purchase of data from telecom operators. The union criticized data as one of the major tools being used to exploit Nigerian citizens, emphasizing the need for workers to take a stand against such practices.
The NLC stated that telecom operators began implementing the 50% tariff increase on Tuesday, despite a prior agreement with the Federal Government and the NCC to prevent such an increase.
The union expressed its frustration over the breach of the agreement and vowed to continue its protest actions.
“The CWC strongly condemns this action by the telecommunications companies, it as a betrayal of trust, an affront to the principles of negotiation, and a direct slap on the government and its institution, and a disdain for Nigerian people.
“CWC-in-session believes that this is a further demonstration of Regulatory capture and impotence in the midst of corporate onslaught and the continuing abandonment of workers and masses to corporate fat cats by the government,” the statement read.
The NLC is demanding the reversal of the 50% tariff increase, insisting that telecom companies return to the previous tariff until the ongoing committee deliberations reach a conclusive agreement.
The union has threatened that if the companies do not revert by the end of February 2025, it will initiate a nationwide shutdown of their operations starting March 1, 2025.
It was earlier reported that MTN had raised its data prices to reflect the 50% tariff increase approved for all telecom operators earlier in January.
As of Tuesday, while Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile had not yet adjusted their data prices, they had increased the cost of text messages to N6.00, up from the previous N4.00, in line with the 50% hike.
