The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has warned Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKDC) to re-engage 400 of its employees that were recently sacked, threatening that failure to do so would lead to an industrial disharmony between it and the company.
The Congress in a letter written to the company by its President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said that the disengaged workers were laid off without due process, including consultation with the union in electricity industry, the National Union of Electricity Employees, (NUEE) an affiliate of the NLC.
It warned that if by Monday March 7, all the affected workers are not recalled, it would mobilise all its 44 affiliate unions as well as civil society groups to picket all the company’s facilities where they are located. NLC further warned that the picketing may be extended to a national action if the company remains obstinate.
The letter reads in part: “We have received information that your management has taken a unilateral decision to disengage 400 of your employees and resort to casual labour without due process, which includes consultation with the union in your industry, the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, an affiliate of the NLC.
“This is totally unacceptable to us as your decision was obviously taken without reasonable justifications but for the selfish exploitative interest of your management who dwell under the guise of maximising profit not only to exploit consumers, but also to deepen poverty by throwing hundreds of your productive employees out of employment at a period we should all be concerned about our country’s growing unemployment rate.
“It is unexpected that a company that was given public funds to operate, after the fraudulent unbundling and privatisation of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, will turn around to extort consumers through tariff increases and go further to sack its employees.
