Electricity workers agree to suspend strike, restore Power

The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has suspended its strike following a meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige on Wednesday.

“The Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has apprehended the strike embarked upon by the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) following an emergency meeting between the union, government, and other stakeholders, at the instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige,” read a statement from the Head, Press and Public Relations of the ministry.

“Dr Ngige set up a tripartite committee to look into the grievances of electricity workers towards addressing them.”

The statement added that the union’s secretary general, Joe Ajaero, has “assured the minister that all necessary steps would be taken to restore the supply of electricity to the country immediately”.

Earlier, the energy crisis appears to have worsened as Ikeja Electric Plc and Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC) have both confirmed power blackout across Lagos and its environs due to the ongoing strike by electricity workers under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE).

The electricity workers had embarked on the industrial action to press home their demand for better welfare and express their displeasure at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and Federal Government for reneging on an agreement that was signed 3 years ago.

The electricity workers under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) had on Tuesday, August 16, grounded the operations of TCN nationwide with the picketing of its office across the country for reneging on the agreement it had reached with the unions some years ago.

The aggrieved electricity workers who had vowed to paralyse the operations of TCN over its anti-masses activities said that the exercise that they carried out on Tuesday was a prelude to an indefinite strike action which is expected to commence today (Wednesday, August 17).