The Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress have urged the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and electricity distribution companies to shun the proposed electricity tariff hike from N65/kWh to N225/kWh and collapse the different bands.
This was disclosed in a joint statement addressed to NERC, signed by the Presidents of NLC Joe Ajaero and the Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo.
They said that the announced tariff hike not only defied the established procedure mandated by law but also trampled upon the rights of Nigerian citizens.
“It is a flagrant abuse of power and a clear violation of the trust bestowed upon your commission by the Nigerian people. Such actions will not be tolerated, and we refuse to accept them as the new norm,” the unions stated.
NLC and TUC gave NERC and the Discos till May 12, 2024, to reverse the tariff hike and threatened industrial action if they failed to comply.
“Failure to do so will result in swift and decisive action on our part, as we will not hesitate to mobilise our members and occupy all NERC’s offices and those of the Discos nationwide until justice is served.
“We believe that this decision is not just morally reprehensible considering the difficulties Nigerians are faced with currently, it blatantly disregards fundamental principles and statutory obligations. It is a slap in the face of justice and fairness, and we will not stand idly by as the masses and workers are subjected to such unacceptable exploitation.
“We are miffed that NERC has become a tacit collaborator in crafting the oppressive pricing regime being perpetuated against Nigerian workers and people,” the organised labour noted.
According to the NLC and TUC, the laws that set up the commission mandates it to act as an unbiased ombudsman in the electricity industry, but unfortunately, the reverse is the case, as it has acted in cahoots with the distribution and generating companies to promote their nefarious market practices.
“The unions have demanded an immediate reversal of the hike in electricity tariff to N65/KWH, immediate cessation of the discriminatory practice of segregating electricity consumers into arbitrary bands, and restoration of the supremacy of the statutes governing the conduct of operators within the electricity industry,” they declared.
