THERE is a looming electricity blackout in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, as electricity workers under the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies have declared their intention to embark on strike.
The two unions who work for the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) said the strike is related to the company not implementing its demand following the suspension of another strike in November 2024.
This newspaper reports that AEDC supply electricity to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi states.
The suspended strike in November saw the picketing of AEDC’s headquarters by its workers, but an agreement was reached on the day the strike began.
In separate letters by the union sent to the Managing Director of AEDC and signed by Opaluwa Eleojo Simeon and Rosemary Odeh, NUEE’s Assistant General Secretary, Liaison, and SSAEAC’s Deputy General Secretary (Corporate Communications) respectively, they said its notice of strike was to inform the management that the strike would start any day.
The letter read: “Recall that we reached an agreement with you on the 27th of November 2024, to suspend an industrial action following a trade dispute declared over lingering labour issues in the company (see copy as attached).
“It is also pertinent to remind you of some of these issues: Non-remittance of pension deduction for 16 months. Non-implementation of the National Minimum Wage. Non-promotion and the continuous stagnation of members of staff for over 10 years. Non-confirmation of staff on acting appointment. Non-regularisation and proper placement of appointments. Refusal to convert Ad-hoc staff to permanent status.
“The complete collapse of health services owing to the non-payment of hospital bills. Non-remittance of 10 months’ PAYE. Refusal to complete the work on review of conditions of service. Non-implementation of the already completed work on career path. Undue board’s interference with the day to day running of the company.
Non-payment of union check off dues and other third-party deductions, and non-payment of the 2024 productivity bonus. It added that the demands were not implemented despite the workers generating N94bn for the company within the last 90 Days.
They said the milestone was achieved through dedicated services without the provision of necessary working materials and business districts, no longer funded.
“It is also worthy of note that we have significantly lost a huge number of members to death owing to pressure and precarious work conditions.
“Consequent upon the above, you are hereby put on notice of our readiness to resume the suspended action on the 27th November, 2024, and this shall commence anytime from the date of the receipt of this letter without an additional notice.
“Councils are by this letter directed and put on notice to commence full mobilization across the AEDC franchise areas of Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger and FCT for an effective action.
“The struggle shall be sustained until victory is achieved, as a people united can never be defeated.”