Labour Gears Up For Action As Electricity Tariff Hike Sparks Nationwide Concern

Labour Gears Up For Action As Electricity Tariff Hike Sparks Nationwide Concern

In response to the recent surge in electricity tariffs announced by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Organised Labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), is set to convene a crucial National Executive Council (NEC) meeting……CONTINUE READING

Naija News reports that this meeting is a pivotal step ahead of the planned picketing of NERC offices, scheduled in protest against the tariff hike.

With the ultimatum issued by Organised Labour set to expire on May 12, 2024, the nation anticipates Labour’s next move.

The National Deputy President of the TUC, Tommy Etim, informed Punch newspaper that the NEC meeting is standard protocol, hinting at potentially more definitive actions post-gathering.

“The truth is that due process was not followed in the tariff hike. You cannot just announce a hike like that. It is not done anywhere. They should reverse the hike and call for stakeholders’ engagement,” Etim explained.

The outcome of the NEC meeting is poised to shape the trajectory of actions aimed at addressing the discontent over the electricity tariff adjustments.

NERC’s decision, unveiled at a press briefing on April 3, 2024, has resulted in a substantial increase in electricity costs for Band A customers to N225 per kilowatt-hour, marking a significant rise from the previous rate of ₦68/kWh.

This 240 per cent increase follows the government’s removal of electricity subsidies for Band A customers, representing about 15 per cent of the nation’s 12.82 million power consumers. The government contends that this adjustment will save ₦1.5 trillion.

Despite the government’s assurance of up to 20 hours of power supply daily for Band A customers, the tariff hike has faced extensive criticism from various quarters, including the House of Representatives, organised labour, and the Nigerian Bar Association.

In fact, the House has called for an immediate suspension of the new tariff implementation.

Tensions escalated during a Senate Committee on Power hearing, where the Minister of Power, while justifying the hike, warned of a potential nationwide blackout in three months unless the tariff increment was enforced.

However, the Senate Committee, chaired by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, opposed the new tariff regime.

Amidst these tensions, at the International Workers’ Day celebration in Abuja on May 1, leaders of the NLC and TUC, Ajaero and Festus Osifo, respectively, condemned the tariff increase, decrying the poor electricity supply and labeling the billing as “extortion and daylight robbery against Nigerians.”