The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has warned that it will embark on a strike if telecom tariffs are increased by 50%.

Speaking on Politics Today on Channels TV, TUC President Comrade Festus Osifo acknowledged the rising operational costs faced by telecom companies but attributed the problem to the depreciation of the naira and foreign exchange mismanagement.

Osifo stressed that rather than addressing the symptoms such as price hikes the government should focus on tackling the root cause of economic instability.

“If you know what the root cause of the problem is, why would you start looking at the symptoms? All the increments we are seeing today are symptoms of FX mismanagement,” he said.

He further disclosed that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had already deliberated on the issue and that the TUC’s National Executive Council (NEC) would determine the next steps.

When asked whether the TUC would go on strike if the federal government ignored their concerns, Osifo responded emphatically, “Yes. Correct.”