The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have issued an ultimatum to the Federal Government, following a joint National Executive Council meeting.
News About Nigeria reports that the unions have demanded a reversal of the recent electricity tariff hike by May 31, 2024.
In a statement, the unions condemned the unilateral increase in electricity tariffs by the authorities, describing it as “unjust and burdensome.”
The statement read, “The NEC once again vehemently condemns the unilateral increase in electricity tariffs by the authorities. 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 unions reiterated their demands for an immediate reversal of the tariff hike and the abolition of the “apartheid categorization” into bands, which they claim has caused suffering for Nigerian workers and citizens. They gave the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the federal government until May 31, 2024, to meet these demands.
Recall that organised labour, comprising the NLC, TUC, and their affiliates, recently embarked on a nationwide protest, grounding offices of the NERC over the recent hike in electricity tariffs.
The NERC had announced the 240 percent hike in the electricity tariff for Band A customers at a press briefing in Abuja on April 3, revealing that those affected would pay N225 per kilowatt-hour, up from the previous rate of N68/kWh.
The hike marked the removal of subsidy from the tariff of customers in the Band A category, who constitute about 15 percent of the total 12.82 million power consumers across the country. The Federal Government claimed that the decision would save it N1.5tn, stating that the new tariff took effect on April 3, 2024, and that Band A customers would enjoy up to 20 hours of power supply daily.
