The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has put a temporary hold on its planned nationwide protest against the federal government’s approval of a 50% hike in telecom tariffs.
The decision followed a late-night meeting on Monday between labour leaders and government officials at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. After intense discussions, both sides agreed to set up a broader committee to review the entire telecom tariff structure.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, speaking to journalists after the meeting, made it clear that the union would not stand by while Nigerians bear the brunt of rising costs. He emphasized that the NLC, as Africa’s largest labour organization, must be included in any decision-making process that affects workers and the public.
“We emphasized that the NLC is the largest organisation in Africa, and no stakeholder consultation can exclude us and still stand,” Ajaero said.
This argument led to a compromise: a new committee, composed of five representatives from both labour and the government, will be established to reassess the tariff hike. The committee is expected to deliver its findings within two weeks, after which the NLC will decide on its next course of action.
For now, the symbolic submission of protest letters scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed. However, Ajaero made it clear that the NLC is not backing down, stating that potential protests, boycotts, or even service withdrawals remain on the table, depending on the committee’s outcome.
“Our next line of action—whether protest, boycott, or even withdrawal of services—will be determined by the outcome of this committee,” he said.
Beyond telecom tariffs, the NLC is also pushing for urgent relief on other economic pressures choking Nigerian workers, including skyrocketing electricity tariffs and an increasingly burdensome tax regime.
“We have also expressed our displeasure over the high electricity tariff and the unbearable tax regime, which is killing workers,” Ajaero added. “These remain unresolved issues that must be addressed.”
The two-week window for the committee’s review now becomes a critical period for both the government and labour unions. If the review leads to a fairer tariff structure, tensions may ease. However, if no meaningful action is taken, Nigerians may still see protests and other disruptive actions from the labour movement.