The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) picketed the headquarters of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) in Abuja over the disengagement of about 900 workers.
The congress, on Tuesday, issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the company to resolve the dispute or face a total shutdown of operations.
The protest, led by Joe Ajaero, president of the NLC, disrupted activities at the electricity distribution company as workers left their offices in line with the union’s directive.
In November 2025, the AEDC sacked the workers who failed to meet performance expectations as part of its restructuring exercise.
During the picketing exercise, Ajaero accused AEDC of misinforming labour about the nature of the disengagement, describing the process as deceptive and unfair.
“The understanding we had was that those affected were workers who had reached retirement age or were about to retire. No responsible labour leader would oppose that,” he said.
“But what we found is completely different. A majority of those disengaged are not retirees. Some have not even spent up to five or six years in service. Many worked for just two to three years. That is the height of deceit.”
The protest intensified when NLC leaders arrived for a scheduled meeting with AEDC management, only to find that Chijioke Okwuokenye, the company’s managing director, was not present.
“We came here for a meeting, but the MD was not on seat. Even previous engagements have been handled in a very lukewarm manner,” Ajaero said.
The union subsequently ended the meeting and instructed workers to stop work, effectively halting operations at the facility.
Ajaero warned that if the company fails to resolve the issue within 48 hours, it could trigger a broader industrial action that may disrupt electricity supply in Abuja and other areas.
“If nothing is done within that time, we cannot guarantee power supply. The workers who keep the system running will stay at home, and if they are not at work, the system will naturally be affected,” he said.
“This will not stop here. All AEDC stations will be affected. Operations will be halted until this matter is addressed.”
Ajaero expressed concern that if left unaddressed, such practices could extend across the power sector.
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