Workers of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company on Thursday commenced an indefinite strike over the non-implementation of the new minimum wage, non-remittance of pension and cooperative deductions and the alleged dismissal of 17 staff members, among other welfare concerns.
A visit to the Ogun Region office of IBEDC in Abeokuta on Thursday, employees were seen milling around while the main gate remained locked.
Speaking on the development, the Vice President of the National Union of Electricity Employees, Lagos/Ogun Zone, Abiodun Shobayo said the workers had no option but to embark on the strike after months of failed negotiations with the IBEDC management.
“We are here this morning to say enough is enough. The IBEDC management cannot continue to take us for granted on issues we have raised for about nine months,” Shobayo said.
“For instance, our pension and cooperative deductions, running into billions of naira, have not been remitted. We are not given imprest, and workers have been using their personal funds to fix electricity faults and distribute bills.
“The management is not ready to implement the new minimum wage or even negotiate, claiming there is no money. They have also been sacking workers indiscriminately without following due process.
“Seventeen of our members have already been affected, and we have said this cannot stand. We have exercised patience, but it seems the management has a hidden agenda. Just recently, 900 staff of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company were sacked; we do not want the same situation here.
“Seventy per cent of the workers here are casual staff, which is unacceptable. This strike is indefinite until the management sees reason. The action affects all IBEDC franchise areas, covering the six states of the South-West, as well as Kwara and Kogi.” Shobayo added that the union’s demands include the immediate payment of all outstanding entitlements and the reinstatement of sacked workers before any negotiations to end the strike can begin.
Also, staff of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company in several Osun State towns on Thursday shut down company offices in protest over the alleged dismissal of their colleagues.
The demonstration, which began early in parts of Osogbo, Ede, and Ilesa, led to disruptions in power supply across the state, particularly in the capital, Osogbo.
IBEDC offices at Ilaje in Ilesa, Oja Timi, Ede Business Hub, and the Ikirun Business Unit were locked, as protesting workers stayed away from their duty posts.
A leader of the National Union of Electricity Employees in the state, who spoke anonymously because he was not authorised to comment, said the protest was triggered by the sacking of several team leaders over their inability to meet revenue targets.
“The protest is in respect of the disengagement of many of the team lead from the service. The disengagement is linked to the inability of the managers to meet the revenue target set for them by the IBEDC. The protest is the cause of the blackout across the state,” the NUEE leader said.
Reacting to the protest, the Management of IBEDC, in a statement signed by the Coordinating Head, Corporate Services, Angela Olanrewaju, reiterated the company’s commitment to excellence in service delivery and staff welfare at all times.
The statement read, “We urge our customers and various stakeholders across our franchise areas to disregard media reports that our workers have embarked on strike beginning today. We are aware of reports circulating that employees of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) went on strike today. We would like to clarify that the action in question was a picket organised by the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE).
“One of the concerns raised was the alleged unjust exiting of certain staff members, along with other issues brought forward by the union. We want to emphasise that the staff members in question were let go due to consistently poor performance, following the company’s Conditions of Service and proper procedures were followed in these exits.
“Regarding other concerns related to staff welfare, we want to affirm that the company has always prioritised the well-being of its employees. Despite the ongoing economic challenges in the country IBEDC has consistently paid the full salaries of its employees each month.”