By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
ABUJA — The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday stormed the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) headquarters in a fiery protest against the mass sacking of nearly 900 workers, delivering a 48-hour ultimatum to management or face a total shutdown.
NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero led the charge, branding the layoffs “the height of deceit” and a perilous trend rippling through Nigeria’s shaky power sector.
The dispute erupted six months ago when AEDC claimed the cuts targeted only retiring workers. “At that time, the union intervened based on that understanding. No responsible labour leader would oppose the exit of workers who have legitimately reached retirement age,” Ajaero explained.
Union probes painted a darker picture. “A majority of those affected were not at retirement age. Some had not even spent up to five or six years in service. In fact, many had only worked for two to three years. That is the height of deceit,” he charged.
Despite promises to review the sackings and multiple zonal meetings, AEDC has stonewalled. “What is even more troubling is that other distribution companies are beginning to copy this pattern. That sends a very dangerous signal across the power sector,” Ajaero warned.
Tensions boiled over when NLC leaders arrived for a key meeting, only to find the Managing Director absent. “We came here for a meeting, but the MD was not on seat. Even the engagements at the zonal level have been handled in a very lukewarm manner,” Ajaero fumed.
Deeming it a “national concern,” the union scrapped the talks, ordered workers to stand by, and saw staff flee offices, grinding operations to a halt.Ajaero issued a 48-hour deadline: “If nothing is done within that time, we cannot guarantee power supply. The workers who keep the system running will stay at home, and if they are not at work, the system will naturally be affected.”
He vowed escalation: “This will not stop here. All AEDC stations will be affected. Operations will be halted until this matter is addressed.”
Ajaero further said: “In Abuja today, almost 90 per cent of electricity billing is estimated, yet there is no corresponding supply. Nigerians are being exploited under a system that rewards inefficiency.”
He ripped the banding system for favoring AEDC and hit generation firms seeking ₦6 trillion bailouts while dodging ₦5 billion in union dues since 2012.“Some of them are asking for about ₦6 trillion for what is essentially darkness. At the same time, they are withholding over ₦5 billion in union dues dating back to 2012. How do you demand trillions when you cannot meet your own responsibilities?” he demanded.
“Employers Must Obey Labour Laws,” he insisted. “If you do not obey labour laws, you cannot expect protection from the same system you disregard.” Privatized firms, he said, inherited union rights yet aim to “dehumanize those workers. They need to think twice.”
NLC demanded AEDC release the full sack list with service years and reasons. “Let Nigerians see whether the union is being unfair or whether management acted unjustly,” Ajaero said.
“What we are seeing is a policy of perpetual dialogue—talks without end and without implementation. That has no place in industrial relations.”The NLC President said: “The management of AEDC seems to think they can dribble everyone and people will forget. But today is a day of reckoning. History has shown that unresolved labour issues do not disappear—they resurface, often with greater consequences. Time is ticking.”
He said: “As a union, we are not asking for anything outside the law. But if the law is followed, we will be satisfied that justice has been served.”