Nigeria Labour Congress Directs Staff To Boycott MTN, Glo, Airtel Over Elevated Costs

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared that its members and different involved residents will boycott telecommunications companies over the current hike in knowledge fees.

On Tuesday it was detailed how MTN Nigeria, one of many nation’s outstanding telecommunications suppliers, has considerably elevated its knowledge tariffs.

Observations revealed that MTN has raised the price of knowledge bundles by roughly 200%.

Beneath the brand new pricing construction, the 15GB knowledge bundle, which was beforehand priced at N2,000, now prices N6,000. Likewise, the 1.5TB plan has risen from N150,000 to N240,000.

Different plans affected embody the 100GB bundle, now priced at N25,000 for 90GB, up from the earlier N20,000 for 100GB. Moreover, the 600GB bundle has elevated from N75,000 to N120,000 for 480GB.

A press assertion offered to SaharaReporters on Wednesday introduced that the Nigeria Labour Congress Central Working Committee (CWC) convened in Lokoja, Kogi State, on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, to debate the current tariff hike, amongst different urgent nationwide points.

The committee condemned the hike, describing it as a “betrayal of belief” and a “direct slap on the federal government and its establishments.”

The NLC, subsequently, directed Nigerian employees and residents to boycott the companies of MTN, AIRTEL, and GLO every day between 11:00 AM and a couple of:00 PM till the top of February 2025.

The labour union has additionally urged residents to droop the acquisition of information from these firms and demanded the repatriation of all funds taken in another country by these firms.

The assertion reads: “The CWC acquired with grave concern the information that telecommunications firms have commenced the implementation of a 50% tariff hike in the present day, regardless of an earlier settlement reached with the Federal Authorities and the Nigerian Communications Fee (NCC).

“It was recalled {that a} 10-man committee had been constituted to deliberate on the matter inside two weeks and report again earlier than any remaining determination can be made on the brand new telecom tariff construction.

“The CWC strongly condemns this motion by the telecommunications firms, describing it as a betrayal of belief, an affront to the ideas of negotiation, and a direct slap on the federal government and its establishments and a disdain for Nigerian individuals.

“CWC-in-session believes that it is a additional demonstration of Regulatory seize and impotence within the midst of company onslaught and the persevering with abandonment of employees and lots more and plenty to company fats cats by the federal government.

“This unwarranted and untimely tariff hike calls for an instantaneous response from our collective resolve since authorities clearly favours the wealthy towards the individuals.

“The CWC calls for an instantaneous reversal of the tariff hike, which took impact in the present day, and insists that the businesses revert to the earlier tariff till the committee completes its deliberations and reaches a conclusive settlement.

“As a primary step in resisting this arbitrary tariff hike, the CWC has directed that, starting Thursday, February 13, 2025, Nigerian employees and different prepared residents shall boycott the companies of MTN, AIRTEL, and GLO every day between 11:00 AM and a couple of:00 PM till the top of February 2025.

“All employees and residents are urged to droop the acquisition of Information from these firms which has additionally change into one in all their best instruments for exploiting Nigerian residents.

“We additionally demand the repatriation of all funds siphoned in another country by these firms.

“If the telecommunications firms fail to revert to the outdated tariff by the top of February 2025, a complete shutdown of their operations nationwide will start from March 1, 2025.

“All NLC State Councils are directed to start instant sensitization and mobilization of their members and most of the people inside their jurisdictions.”

“All NLC Affiliate Unions are requested to mobilize their members throughout the nation to look at digital silence in the course of the designated hours,” it provides.