Workers of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company have withdrawn their services over alleged unjust treatment and other industrial disputes.
The workers, under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, are demanding the seizure of the companyโs license.
They blocked the entrance to the companyโs headquarters in Kaduna, preventing other staff members and customers from gaining access to the premises.
The workersโ demands include payment of six yearsโ unremitted pensions, payment of the death benefits of deceased staff members of the company, payment of exit package and reversal of unjust disengagement of seven staff of the company in Zaria.
They are also kicking against an alleged plan to sack over 1,000 workers of the company.
Speaking with Channels Television during the protest, the Organising Secretary, North West, NUEE, Ayuba Pukat, said: โWe 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.
โThe 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 Electricโs licence should be seized.
โThis means that staff are being paid half their salaries, yet the rest is not being remitted to their pension managers.
โAgain, some Zaria staffโs employment were 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.
โWe are here to express our dissatisfaction to the management staff regarding our welfare.
โWe donโt 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 wonโt leave here until we have registered our grouse.โ
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 companyโs 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.
โWe 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,โ he said.
โWe 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.
โThis 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.โ
In January, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, approved the appointment of Dr Umar Abubakar Hashidu as the administrator of KAEDC.