MEMBERS of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) and the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), on Wednesday morning, shut down activities at the headquarters of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) over unresolved labour grievances.
The two in-house union members, who stormed the premises in the early hours of the day, carried several placards and barricaded the entrance, preventing workers from entering the premises.
The unions were protesting against alleged injustices, including unpaid pension arrears, poor staff welfare, casualisation of workers, non-compliance with the new national minimum wage, among others grievances they considered to have contravened the Nigerian Labour Laws.
The picketing was led by SSAEAC Branch President, Comrade Raymond Okoro, and NUEE Zonal Organising Secretary, Comrade Ayodele Kolade, where they presented their demands to the Managing-director of AEDC, Engr Chijioke Okwuokenye, calling for urgent action or risk large-scale industrial action.
Addressing the protesters, Comrade Okoro condemned AEDC’s failure to remit 15 months of pension deductions, labelling the act a financial crime under Nigerian law.
He also criticised the DisCo’s refusal to provide medical benefits, pay competitive salaries, and promote staff.
“Pension deductions without remittance is fraud, staff go to hospitals and are turned away due to unpaid bills, leaving them at the mercy of illness.
“Casual workers, some employed for over a decade, earn less than the legally mandated minimum wage enough is enough,” Okoro said.
The unions also decried alleged intimidation of employees by Management and accused the AEDC board of meddling in daily operations, which has contributed to stagnation and inefficiency.
On his part, Comrade Kolade lamented the unions’ history of engaging AEDC management with broken promises and frequent changes in leadership.
“Last month alone, AEDC generated N29.4 billion, yet staff suffer unpaid benefits and unsafe working conditions.
If our demands are not met, we will escalate actions, including a total withdrawal of services,” Kolade warned.
The unions’ demands include the immediate payment of pension arrears, an end to casualization, improved medical care, and adherence to minimum wage laws.
Despite a seven-day ultimatum issued last week, the union stated that AEDC has yet to respond to the workers’ grievances.
The unions have pledged to continue their protest and further actions if their demands are not addressed.
In response, the managing director of the AEDC, Engineer Chijioke Okwuokenye, acknowledged the concerns of the employees and expressed regret over the circumstances that led to the unrest.
“Let me apologise that we have allowed things to get to this level. It never should, the fact is we can only talk of how to go forward, I take responsibility for whatever misgivings you have identified.
“No matter how bad things get, there’s always a point at which we would say, okay, let’s start fixing it. And you can’t say because a house is infected with rodents, you decide that the person is going to burn down the house.
“I have spoken to the board this morning and I can tell you that there is backing from the board to make sure that AEDC becomes a company that is able to meet its responsibility to its staff,” the MD explained.