By Mary Onyia
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has shelved its planned protest against the 50 percent increase in telecommunication tariffs. This decision follows an agreement reached with the Federal Government to establish a 10-member committee tasked with reviewing the tariff hike and other related labour issues.
The NLC and the government, led by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, met on Monday and agreed to form the committee, which will comprise five members from both sides. The committee will review the study conducted by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) that led to the tariff increase.
As a result, the NLC has postponed its protest, initially scheduled for Tuesday, February 4, 2025, pending the outcome of the committee’s review. NLC President, Joe Ajaero, stated that the union will wait for the committee’s recommendations before deciding on any further actions.
A statement from the SGF’s office, issued by Director of Information and Public Relations, Segun Imohiosen, said that the meeting aimed to maintain industrial harmony and safeguard the interests of Nigerians. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, noted that the meeting was convened to address the study that prompted the tariff hike.
The committee is expected to submit its report within two weeks. Both parties agreed to meet regularly over this period to review the findings and reach a joint recommendation for consideration.
“So, the summary of it is that Labour and the Nigerian Labour Congress specifically and the delegation of the federal government have set up a committee of five each. We are going to meet here continuously for the next two weeks. And at the end of the second week, we will now come up with a recommendation that we will give to the government and the organised Labour for final consideration”, he said.
Key participants in the meeting included Minister of Communication and Digital Economy Bosun Tijanni, Minister of Finance Wale Edun, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) CEO Dr. Aminu Maida, Minister of Labour and Employment Alhaji Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, among others.
With reports from Channels Television