The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) are spoiling for war as they have given the federal government until May 31 to reverse the electricity tariff.
The two abour bodies gave the ultimatum in a communiqué handed out in Abuja on Monday at the end of a joint emergency national executive council (NEC) meeting of the NLC and TUC.
On April 3, the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved an increase in the electricity tariff for customers in the Band A classification—from N66 to N225 per kwh.
The tariff increment generated public outcry and calls for its reversal.
On May 13, members of organised labour picketed the headquarters of the NERC, the federal ministry of power, and the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in Abuja, demanding a reversal of the tariff.
In the communiqué, the unions said the action taken by the government without consideration for the hardship of the masses was “unjust and burdensome”.
“The NEC once again vehemently condemns the unilateral increase in electricity tariffs by the authorities,” the communiqué reads.
“This action, taken without due consideration for the economic hardships faced by the masses and the provisions of the law, is deemed unjust and burdensome.
“The NEC reaffirms its demands for an immediate reversal of the tariff hike and the vexatious apartheid categorization into bands to alleviate the suffering of Nigerian workers and citizens and gives the National Electricity Regulatory Commission and the federal government until the last day of May 2024 to meet these demands.”
