The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday shut down the offices of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in Abuja and parts of Kogi, Nasarawa, and Niger states, following the controversial dismissal of more than 900 workers.
AEDC’s headquarters in Abuja, along with its regional offices in Minna, Lokoja, and Lafia, were locked as staff stayed away in protest.
The move came a day after NLC members, led by President Joe Ajaero, picketed the company’s headquarters over the mass sacking.
Addressing the crisis, Ajaero explained that the dispute began about six months ago when AEDC management claimed that the retrenchments would target only employees who had reached or were close to retirement age.
“At the time, the union intervened in good faith, believing only retirees would be affected.
No responsible labour leader would oppose legitimate retirements,” he said.
He added that most of the terminated staff were far from retirement, with many having worked for just two to three years, while others had only five or six years on the job.
“This is the height of deceit,” he said.
The NLC had issued a 48-hour ultimatum to AEDC to resolve the matter, warning that failure to comply would trigger escalated industrial action capable of disrupting electricity supply in the Federal Capital Territory and the three affected states.
“If nothing is done within that timeframe, we cannot guarantee power supply.
“The workers who operate the system will stay home, and the system will naturally be affected,” Ajaero warned.