Electricity Workers Suspend Strike After Two-Day Protests, Blackout

Nigerian electricity workers under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has reportedly suspended its latest protest and strike which had already entered the second day as at Wednesday, culminating into nationwide blackout.

Reports said the suspension is for two weeks after which, should the unions’ needs are not met by the Federal government, the strike will resume.

Prior to the said suspension of protest and strike, the unions had led today intense protests on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Premises of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in Abuja and Lagos, locking out management and staff of the company just as daily routine operations were paralysed.

News of the suspension filtered in late Wednesday night after a meeting said to have been convened at the instance of the Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige with the union leaders.

The suspension of the strike which the workers embarked upon on Wednesday after a prelude protest at the headquarters of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) on Tuesday came as the Minister of Labor and Employment, Chris Ngige, brokered a truce after the whole country was thrown into total blackout.

The General Secretary of the NUEE, Joe Ajaero, had in a circular titled, ‘Call to Action,’ dated August 15, 2022, and addressed to senior assistant general secretaries and zonal organising secretaries of the union, directed the workers to ensure total compliance.

They are protesting against non-payment of outstanding entitlements, non-representation on the Board of TCN and the recently introduced requirement for certain categories of workers to sit for examination and interview before promotion