From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos
Indications emerged, yesterday, of an imminent blackout across the country as organised labour vowed to shut down Eko Electricity Distribution Company, EKEDC; Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, IEDC, and six others, including power plants, tomorrow over electricity tariff without power supply, among others.
Other affected DISCOs and power plants are Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC; Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC; Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, PHEDC; Jos Electricity Distribution Company, JEDC; Transcorp Electricity Ughelli; Egbin Power Plc; Geregu Power Plc and Olorunshogo Power Plc. Other grievances of labour are perceived de-unionisation of workers and victimisation of labour leaders by the new investors.
The leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo Edo, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, Delta, Kwara and Kogi states and the leadership of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, issued a seven-day ultimatum, April 16, to the Federal Government, owners of affected DISCOs and power plants to address their concerns or face industrial action.
The ultimatum expired yesterday without any of their grievances addressed.
It was gathered that a meeting with government, owners of the affected companies and labour leaders earlier scheduled for yesterday was shifted to today in Benin. Chairman of Delta NLC and his Ondo counterpart told our reporter that irrespective of the outcome of today’s meeting, workers in the affected states had been directed to cripple the activities of the companies today.
