Workers of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company have ceased their operations, citing perceived unfair treatment and various industrial disputes.
Organized under the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), the workers are advocating for the revocation of the company’s license.
They have barricaded the entrance to the company’s headquarters in Kaduna, barring other employees and customers from accessing the premises.
The workers’ demands encompass issues such as the payment of six years’ unreceived pensions, compensation for the families of deceased company staff, settlement of exit packages, and the reversal of the alleged unjust termination of seven Zaria-based employees.
Additionally, they oppose a purported plan to terminate the employment of over 1,000 workers within the company.
Speaking with Channels Television during the protest, the Organising Secretary, North West, NUEE, Ayuba Pukat, said: “We are out here to exercise our right as workers of Kaduna Electric because of so many issues on the ground which have to do with our staff welfare.
“The pension deducted from our staff was not remitted for over 72 months, and staff are still working. If you go to your pension managers, they will tell you your company did not remit. This is a criminal offence, and Kaduna Electric’s licence should be seized.
“This means that staff are being paid half their salaries, yet the rest is not being remitted to their pension managers.
“Again, some Zaria staff’s employment was unlawfully terminated last year as a result of malfunctioning of the power equipment, leading to the electrocution of 14 residents in Southern Zaria. The staff were asked to leave without a fair hearing.
“We are here to express our dissatisfaction to the management staff regarding our welfare.
“We don’t have enough equipment to work, yet we keep getting threats upon threats. They also employed MOPOL to send us out from the premises as we protest, but we won’t leave here until we have registered our grouse.”
Meanwhile, the Head of Corporate Communications at Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, described the strike by NUEE as uncalled for, adding that it is detrimental to the company’s health.
He appealed to the workers to reconsider their stand and suspend the strike so that all business activities could return to their former status.
“We woke up this morning to the news that members of NUEE have locked up our offices. We were shocked because there was no need for it. We have a quarterly meeting scheduled for Wednesday. They have told us about the pension remittances, and there is a plan to settle the backlogs,” he said.
“We have a new MD, and he needs time to settle down and then plan on how to gradually offset the historical liabilities. But they chose to do this and have stopped staff and customers from coming in.
“This is illegal, and we think this is unnecessary. We know the company is not in a good place right now, but the new MD has promised to turn the company around. We need all hands to be on deck so that we can forge a way forward for the company.”
In January, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, approved the appointment of Dr Umar Abubakar Hashidu as the administrator of KAEDC.
