Organized labour; Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) are staging a protest to shut down Distribution Companies in zones of the country.
The organized labour are at the headquarters the electricity distribution companies in Jos, Ibadan and Port Harcourt.
According to report, the protest is in compliance with directives by the leadership of the body over the recent hike in electricity tariff. “The leaderships of NLC and TUC were on ground at the different venues of the protest to ensure compliance,” the report stated.
According to CHANNELS TV, the union members are joining their colleagues across the country. They are picketing offices of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Electricity Distribution companies across the country. This is in an effort to demand reversal of the recent tariff increase on electricity in the country.
CHANNELS TV reports that in Jos, the capital of Plateau State, workers blocked the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED). The office is located along Ahmadu Bello Way, in the Jos Capital.
It stated that the protesting organized labour Unions prevented workers of the Distribution Company from gaining access to their offices.
In Ibadan Oyo State, the situation is the same as in Jos. The protesting Labour Unions blocked the office of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) in the State Capital, CHANNELS TV stated.
The NLC Chairman in Oyo State, Comrade Kayode Martins, while addressing the press at the premises of IBEDC, said enough is enough. He pointed that Nigerians have had to cope with the backlash of economic policies of the President Bola Tinubu administration.
Martins maintained that Labour Unions would no longer sit idly to watch things deteriorate further.
He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to rescind its decision over electricity tariff hike. The Union leader also called on the Tinubbu Government to reverse its other policies that have not served Nigerians well.
Similarly, CHANNELS TV reports that members of the NLC and TUC have shut down the headquarters of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED).
“Chanting solidarity songs, the Labour Union members sealed the PHED premises on Monday morning. They also prevented staff of the DisCo from accessing their offices.
Speaking to Channels Television, the NLC Chairman in Rivers State, Alex Agwanwor, described the tariff as discriminatory. He maintained that it will further impoverish Nigerians.
Though the NERC had reviewed the tariff, the Labour Unions said they were picketing the agency’s office. They also stated that they would picket the premises of Distribution Companies after a Sunday reversal deadline failed.
source: Channels TV
