Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) headquarters was paralysed on Wednesday as electricity workers protested against alleged labour injustices.

Members of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) and the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) barricaded the office in Abuja, demanding urgent action from management.

The protest, which began at 7:00 am, saw union members carrying placards with inscriptions such as ?We Demand Immediate Payment of 15 Months Pension Remittance,? ?We Say No to Staff Stagnation,? ?We Demand Immediate Implementation of N70,000 Minimum Wage,? and ?Review Electricity Rebates to Reflect Current Realities.? Other messages called for an end to casualization, better working conditions, and the resignation of some AEDC officials, including the Chief Operating Officer and the Human Resources Manager.

The unions accused AEDC of several infractions, including the failure to remit pension deductions to Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) for over 15 months, non-compliance with the national minimum wage, poor staff welfare, and the casualization of workers who have served for over a decade.

Speaking to journalists at the protest, SSAEAC Branch President, Comrade Raymond Okoro, said the failure to remit pension deductions amounts to financial fraud. ?Pension deductions without remittance is not just an administrative failure; it is outright fraud,? Okoro stated. ?Staff go to hospitals only to be turned away because medical bills are unpaid. This is unacceptable.?

The Zonal Organising Secretary of NUEE, Comrade Ayodele Kolade, described the working conditions at AEDC as deplorable. ?The welfare of staff in the Abuja zone is nonexistent,? he said. ?For over a decade, there has been no promotion, no salary increment?not even by one naira. Meanwhile, management keeps deducting pensions but refuses to remit them. This action is just the beginning.?

Kolade warned that if AEDC management failed to meet their demands, the unions would escalate their protest. ?We have exhausted all avenues for dialogue. If they do not act, we will shut down all AEDC branches permanently. Last month, AEDC generated N29.4 billion, yet workers are left to suffer unpaid benefits and unsafe working conditions,? he added.

The unions also accused AEDC?s board of interfering in the company?s daily operations, leading to stagnation and inefficiencies. They called for the immediate implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage, better medical care, and confirmation of ad-hoc staff who have been casual workers for years.

Placards at the protest reflected these demands, with inscriptions such as ?Group President, C.O.O., H.R. Must Go? and ?We Say No to Board Interference.? Workers chanted solidarity songs, expressing their frustrations with AEDC?s handling of employee welfare.

Despite a seven-day ultimatum issued by the unions last week, AEDC management failed to address the grievances, prompting the unions to intensify their industrial action. According to Comrade Okoro, this negligence underscores management?s disregard for the welfare of its workforce.

Addressing the protesters, AEDC Managing Director, Engineer Chijioke Okwuokenye, apologised for the company?s shortcomings and pledged to resolve the issues. ?Let me apologise for allowing things to get to this point,? Okwuokenye said. ?I take full responsibility for these lapses, and I assure you that steps are being taken to restore trust and resolve these grievances.?

The managing director also promised to engage the board to ensure the company meets its obligations to staff. ?We cannot have a thriving organisation when our workforce is dissatisfied. This is a wake-up call, and I am committed to ensuring AEDC meets its responsibilities,? he added.

However, union leaders remain unconvinced, stressing that words must translate to action. ?This is not the first time we are hearing apologies,? Kolade said. ?If there is no immediate implementation of our demands, this picketing will escalate into a complete shutdown of AEDC operations.?

The workers vowed to continue their protest until all their demands, including the payment of pension arrears, implementation of the minimum wage, better working conditions, and the confirmation of ad hoc staff, are met. (Tribune)

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