UPDATE: LABOUR UNION’S NATIONWIDE PROTEST OVER NEW ELECTRICITY TARIFF

Ekiti organised labour shut down BEDC

Organised labour in Ekiti state, led by the Chairmen of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Com. Odunayo Adesoye and his counterpart in the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Com. Ade Adesanmi, on Monday, besieged the situation office of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) and sealed off the building.

Unions that attended the protest include: Non-Academic Staff Union, Federal Polytechnic chapter, Ekiti state Public Service Joint Negotiating Council, Academic Staff Union of Secondary School, Nigerian Civil Service Union, among others.

After the threat issued by the labour leaders, who spoke with megaphone, the staff rushed out of the building to forestall being manhandled by the visibly livid protesters, but It was the men and officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, that prevailed on them not to enter the building and chase out the staff that were at their duty posts.

Addressing the protesters and passers-by, the TUC Chairman, slammed the Distribution Companies in Nigeria over what he described as ‘arbitrary charges and extortion’ and urged the federal government to call them to order by instructing that the tariff increase proposal be dropped.

Adesoye said the picket exercise does not contravene the constitution, describing their action as legal and in conformity with the directives of the national secretariat of the trade unions.

He said: “Nigerians don’t want arbitrary charges again. How can the Discos increase tariff by 45%? This is unacceptable to Nigerians, particularly coming at a time when workers at the state level were not being paid as at and when due.

“We want the DISCOs to provide prepaid meters for all electricity users and stop this arbitrary and extortionate bills being imposed on Nigerians. They won’t give regular supply of power, yet they bring bills every month, we don’t know the parameters they were using to calculate our bills.”

EEDC under lockdown as security operatives bar labour

A combined team of security personnel in Enugu state, forestalled the picketing of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) by the state branch of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Our correspondent who monitored the situation in Enugu on Monday, observed that the team, comprising the police, army and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), prevented members of the NLC from picketing the office over the increase in electricity tariff.

Some of the workers who spoke to Daily Times while leaving the EEDC premises said they took the decision before the protest becomes bloody judging with the number of security men around.

“We are leaving the EEDC premises because of fear of being rough handled by security operatives”, they said.

The Chairman of the state branch of the NLC, Mr. Viginus Nwobodo, expressed dismay that the protest was not successful in Enugu state due to the presence of security operatives at EEDC entrances.

Nwobodo, who spoke to newsmen said that most members who ought to have joined in picketing the headquarters of the EEDC in the state ran away on sighting the presence of heavily armed security men.

“The protest ordered by our national leadership was not successful in Enugu as many of our members did not join us in the exercise.

“They were so afraid of the presence of the heavily armed soldiers and other security men at the headquarters of the EEDC,” he said.

Labour talks tough, threatens to occupy DISCOs, NERC offices if….

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), have threatened to occupy the offices of the Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs), Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), and other relevant stakeholders in the industry if they fail to revert to the old electricity tariff within the two weeks window given to them.

The NLC also reminded the DISCOs and other relevant agencies that gone are the days when firms operating in Nigeria will be exploiting the masses without corresponding services to that regard.

To this end, the NLC and TUC, supported by the CSOs, on Monday, staged a peaceful protest to the offices of NERC, Abuja DISCO, terminating at the National Assembly, Abuja, where they made a formal presentation of their request to the leadership of the National Assembly.

In their hundreds, the workers brandishing placards with different inscriptions like, “Enforce MoU on electricity privatisation, increase electricity supply not tariff, we need light and not darkness” among other things, took their first match to the office of the Abuja DISCO, registering their displeasure with the over 45 percent increase in electricity tariff.

The workers, led by NLC and TUC Presidents, Comrades Ayuba Wabba and Bobboi Kaigama, as well as other officials of CSOs, maintained that Nigerian workers have had enough of darkness with high tariff instead of light with affordable tariff.

In unanimous speech, the labour leaders vowed to continue pressing until the tariff is reversed, expressing disappointment over the role of the Minister of Power, Babatunde Fashola, in supporting the power firms in their many ways of exploitation of Nigerians.

“We demand a review of the privatisation of the government power firms. We have discovered that the firms were bought by friends and cronies of the people in government who obviously are not competent to improve the electricity demand of Nigerians. We have made our position known in the past and we will continue pressing until our request is granted”, the labour leaders said.

Meanwhile, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who led other lawmakers to receive the workers at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, promised to provide a legal framework that would ensure that services is improved before any attempted increase in tariff.

He promised to summon the Chief Executive of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), over the development. “We are neither blind nor deaf. We can see the problems. Give us time, we will call the Chief Executive and we will engage them and we will ensure that the right thing is done in no distant time.

“We will do it immediately. I want to assure you that that this very 8th National Assembly is for the people. If you recollect even before now, we have observed that this issue of the tariff and some of the policies were not for our people. We have summoned the NERC executive before now, we are with you and we will stand with you to ensure that no policy will be in any way detrimental to the people” he said.

Abia: NLC, CSO protest increase in electricity tariff

Some Organised Labour Leaders and Civil Society Organisations, on Monday, led other electricity consumers to stage a peaceful protest against the increase of electricity tariff by the Nigerian Electricity Distributors.

The protesters, who marched from Reagina Cael junction to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) head office at Ziks Avenue, Awka, chanted various solidarity songs while carrying placards.

Addressing newsmen shortly after the protest, the state Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Jerry Nnubia, said that the increment would only subject Nigerians to more difficult situation.

According to him, the increment did not follow due process. “We have a subsisting court order restraining the power distribution from increasing the tariff for now.

“We equally had Memorandum of Understanding that within the gestation period of privatisation that electricity consumers will be provided with prepaid meters but that has not been done.

“Rather, they resorted to estimated billings whether electricity was used or not. Again, at the twilight of the past administration, the Federal Government approved about N18 billion for manpower and infrastructural development but we are yet to see any result” he said.

Nnubia wondered why the entrepreneurs, who took over the power sector, would want to increase the tariff when they have yet to invest into the sector.

The labour chairman further stressed that stakeholders were not consulted before embarking on the increment.

“The increase is illegal and unlawful and we are saying no to it,” he noted, saying that the increment would only amount to paying for inefficiencies.

Some of the placards read: “Nigerian masses are suffering; no increment for now,” “Electricity tariff hike must follow due process” and “We say no to high tariff,” among others.

Labour tasks consumers to withhold electricity bills

The planned picketing of the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED) by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Plateau State, over the increment of electricity tariff, on Monday, took its full effect as the head office of JED was shut down by the NLC and the TUC.

Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Union, Plateau state chapter, Comrade Jibrin Banchir, during the protest instructed consumers not to pay electricity bill until further notice.

Recall that Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) had increased electricity tariff by 45%, which prompted the national leadership of the NLC to direct all state chapters to picket distribution offices nationwide.

While addressing members of NLC, TUC and Civil Society Organization (CSO), Comrade Jibrin Banchir, stated that labour leaders were currently meeting in Abuja and resolutions would be made known as soon as possible.

“Labour has given three conditions to be met by the Distribution Companies (DISCOS). This include that nobody should pay the estimated or current bill, no matter what the new price would be, until our demands are meant.

“We are here today to simply register our concern at this stage that certain things are wrong in Nigeria during this change mantra. We are going to occupy this place for today and across the country, and it is to caution DISCOS that they have taken a negative step and if they don’t retrace their steps, certainly we would embark on a mass action, which is to further shut them down”, Banchir stated.

Unions ‎protest ‘obnoxious’ tariff ‎in Ondo

Labour Unions in Ondo state, on Monday, grounded business and commercial activities ‎in a peaceful mass demonstration against the astronomical increase in electricity tariff by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC). ‎

The unions, under the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), joined their counterparts nationwide in a simultaneous protest to kick against the obnoxious increment and action of the distribution company on consumers.

They were angry over the 45 percent hike in electricity billing which took effect this February, nationwide, despite repeated public outcry.

The protesting labour unions, who were joined in the solidarity protest by the landlord associations and different civil society organisations in the state, shut down operation at the headquarters office of the BEDC in Akure.

The protesters caused heavy traffic gridlock and disallowed free flow of vehicular movement on the popular Isinkan/Nepa road for many hours with placards bearing several inscriptions to express their grievances.

Some of their placards read- “No Meter, No Payment”; ‎ Compulsory Metering of Electricity Consumers Is Disobey”, “45% Electricity Tariff Increase, An Exploitation Of Highest Order”; “Electricity Is A Social Services And Not To Be Commercialized”, etc.