5th June, 2024
By Oluwapelumi Oluwayemi
The Nigeria Labour Congress has expressed disappointment at the federal government’s lack of response to the April 3 electricity tariff increase.
This sentiment was shared in an official statement issued after the NLC’s National Executive Council meeting, during which they decided to postpone their indefinite strike for one week, Daily post reports.
Despite the government’s agreement to raise the minimum wage to a figure higher than N60,000 during a meeting with organized labour on Monday, there has been no mention of addressing the NLC’s second demand: the reversal of the electricity tariff hike.
The NLC voiced its disappointment over the government’s inaction and emphasized the importance of addressing both the wage increase and the electricity tariff hike, which they consider crucial in easing the financial burden on Nigerian workers and the general population.
They particularly highlighted the discriminatory classification of electricity consumers into Bands as unacceptable.
On April 3, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved a tariff increase of over N200 per kilowatt-hour for customers receiving 20-24 hours of power supply, sparking reactions among Nigerians.
In response to the public outcry, the government initially announced a minor reduction of N18, lowering the tariff to N208.80 per kilowatt-hour for Band A customers.
However, this reduction did not satisfy the NLC, the Trade Union Congress, and other organizations, who are calling for a complete reversal of the tariff hike, along with addressing the issue of minimum wage.