The Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association of Nigeria has praised the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) decision to suspend its Tuesday’s planned protest over approved 50 per cent increase in telecommunications tariffs.

The association’s Secretary-General, Mr Abdullahi Okonu, stated that the union, as a major stakeholder, was knowledgeable about issues in the sector.

According to Okonu, the cost of resources needed to make telecommunications services available to the masses had increased.

He stated: “The only logical thing is for government to allow us to increase the tariff in order to meet up with the cost of running business and, at the same time, make profits.

“We do not want a situation where workers in the private telecommunications sector will lose their jobs.

“Where companies are struggling to meet up with running costs, of course, the first thing they will look at is how to reduce their overhead costs by sacking workers, which we do not want.

“Our members should be protected and their jobs should be protected.

“Also, if the telecommunications sector is allowed to collapse, definitely, it will have a negative impact on other sectors.”