MIRIAM NNOLI 
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has threatened to embark on Industrial action if the Federal Government does not rescind its recent approval for the 50 per cent increase in telecommunications tariff.
The President of the TUC, Comrade Festus Osifo issued this threat on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
According to the TUC boss, the proposed tariff hike is not only ill-timed but also a deliberate act of economic oppression against Nigerians.
The TUC President advised the Federal Government to tackle the root cause of the problem which he said is forex management rather than the symptoms.
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He acknowledged that the telecommunications companies are facing high costs of operations, but said it would be better for the government to provide economic stability that will reduce the cost of operation instead of always looking to increase tariffs
“On the date, the action will begin, what we had today is the NAC meeting to bring about the sensitization.
“After that, we will have the CWC meeting and the NEC meeting. So, it is the responsibility of NEC of TUC to give a date and define the next line of action.
“If you know what the root cause of the problem is, why would you start looking at the symptoms?
“So, all the increment that we are seeing today is the symptoms of the FX mismanagement.
“So, all we are asking is that let us sit down, let us look at how we can go back to that root cause because we strongly believe that if that root cause is addressed, there is no need for these symptoms to prop up,” Osifo said.
