The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has kicked against the alleged plan to increase electricity tariff by 40 percent on July 1.
The NLC, which stated this in an issued statement yesterday in Abuja by its president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, described the move as insensitive and callous, saying it reflected an organised indifference to the well-being of consumers, especially, the poor ones.
The statement read in part: “The inherent risk in the new regime of tariff is that there is no control, implying that by August, consumers will pay new rates.
“The other risk is that by the time other product or service-rendering entities come up with their new prices or rates, the ordinary person would have been compacted into dust.
“With contemplation of payment of school fees in tertiary institutions and increases in privately-owned ones in addition to other costs/tariffs on the way, life in Nigeria could truly be Hobbesian.
“The market economies which the market fundamentalists seek to emulate, have in place socio-economic safeguards which we do not have.
“In light of this, our advice is that this proposed tariff hike should be shelved for our collective safety”.
