Members of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) and the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) shut down activities at the headquarters of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) yesterday over unresolved labour grievances.
The unions protested against alleged injustices, including unpaid pension arrears, poor staff welfare, casualisation of workers, and non-compliance with the new minimum wage, among other grievances they considered contravening the Nigerian Labour Laws.
The picket was led by SSAEAC branch president Comrade Raymond Okoro and NUEE zonal organising secretary, Comrade Ayodele Kolade. They presented their demands to the managing director, Engr Chijioke Okwuokenye, and called 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 company’s refusal to provide medical benefits, pay competitive salaries, and promote staff.
“Pension deductions without remittance are fraud. Staff go to hospitals and are turned away due to unpaid bills, leaving them at the mercy of illness.
Okoro said that casual workers, some employed for over a decade, earn less than the legally mandated minimum wage. “Enough is enough”.
The unions also decried management’s alleged intimidation of employees and accused the AEDC board of meddling in daily operations, contributing 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 union’s demands include the immediate payment of pension arrears, an end to casualisation, 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 take further action if their demands are not addressed.
In response, the managing director of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Engineer Chijioke Okwuokenye, acknowledged the employees’ concerns, expressed regret over the circumstances that led to the unrest, and pledged to resolve their grievances.
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