Electricity Tariff: Labour Unions Shut Down Jos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt DisCos
The organised labour comprising members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) are staging a protest at the headquarters the electricity distribution companies in Jos, Ibadan and Port Harcourt.
The protest is in compliance with organised labour leadership’s directive over the recent hike in electricity tariff. The leadership of NLC and TUC were on ground at the different venues of the protest to ensure compliance.
The union members are joining their colleagues across the country to picket offices of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Electricity Distribution companies across the country to demand reversal of the tariff increase.
In Jos, the capital of Plateau State, the workers blocked the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED), along Ahmadu Bello Way.
The action by the labour unions prevented workers of the distribution company from gaining access to their offices.
The union members in Ibadan were not also left out in the protest as they blocked the office of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) in the state capital.
The NLC Chairman in Oyo state, Comrade Kayode Martins, while addressing the press at the premises of IBEDC, said enough is enough as Nigerians have had to cope with the backlash of economic policies of the President Bola Tinubu administration.
He said labour unions would no longer sit idly to watch things deteriorate further.
The unions asked that the Federal Government rescind its decision over electricity tariff hike and other policies that have not served Nigerians well.
Similarly, members of the NLC and TUC have shut down the headquarters of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Chanting solidarity songs, the Labour Union members sealed the PHED premises on Monday morning preventing staff of the Disco from accessing their offices.
Speaking to Channels Television, the NLC Chairman in Rivers State, Alex Agwanwor, said the recent hike is discriminatory and will further impoverish Nigerians.
Though the NERC had reviewed the tariff, the labour unions said they were picketing the agency’s office as well as the premises of distribution companies after a Sunday reversal deadline failed.
