Abuja electricity workers suspend strike

The federal government intervened in a feud between the workers and AEDC.

The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has suspended its strike in Abuja after the federal government intervened in its dispute with the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC.

The suspension of the industrial action followed a meeting between NUEE and government officials as contained in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) jointly signed by both parties.

The union had on Monday morning embarked on an industrial action, shutting down operations of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).

The union accused the company of not remitting the pension contributions of its members for 20 months.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria on Monday said the evacuation of bulk power from electricity substations was disrupted following a shutdown of the facilities of AEDC by the company’s workers’ union.

The strike led to power outages in areas under the AEDC franchise which include Abuja, Nasarawa, Kogi, Parts of Edo, Niger and Kaduna States.

However, NUEE and the federal government reached a compromise at a meeting later Monday.

The meeting was brokered by the Minister of State for Power, Goddy Agba.

The document reads: “As at the end of an expansive meeting between the leadership of NUEE and relevant government institutions in the power sector over the industrial action which affected the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) franchise area regarding the unresolved dispute with the management of AEDC over unpaid entitlements it was agreed as follows:

“Government intervened with the firm arrangement to ensure the payment of the outstanding entitlement of AEDC staff within 21 days counting from the day of the signing of the MoU.

“Based on the foregoing, the industrial action is suspended.”

The officials of the federal government that signed the document are the director-general of Bureau for Public Enterprises, Alex Okoh, chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Sanusi Garba, and the Minister of State for Power Goddy Jeddy Agba.

Alex Olebe represented the Ministry of labour.

Those who signed on behalf of the workers’ union include Joe Ajaero, the general-secretary of NUEE, and Godfrey Aba, NUEE chairman, FCT Council.