Blackout looms as Electricity Workers begin Nationwide Strike

Electricity workers under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), began an indefinite strike today December 10th.

In a statement released by the Assistant Secretary-General of NUEE, Anthony Sule, the union said the decision to down tools remained its only option since there was no dialogue with the Federal Government to resolve the lingering industrial crisis in the sector. The union had earlier given the Federal government a 21-day ultimatum to address its grievances. The ultimatum expired on Tuesday, December 10th.

Sule said some of the unresolved issues are the illegal transfer of union properties to power investors and the alleged refusal by some distribution companies (DisCos) to remit deducted contributory pension of their members of staff to pension managers.

He added that these issues were contained in a memo to the minister dated 7th November 2019.

“The ministry of power has failed to resolve some issues affecting members of the union since 2013 when the power sector was privatised especially issues that with the over 2,000 disengaged former PHCN workers and their pay off.” the statement in part reads