The Oyo State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress staged a protest on Tuesday, Feb. 18, that brought operations at the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company to a halt.
The protest, led by the Oyo State NLC Chairman, Kayode Martin, was to express their grievances over the recent dismissal of over 3,000 employees of IBEDC.
The union members barricaded the entrance to the IBEDC office, shutting down the facility and causing traffic disruption in the Challenge to Dugbe area of Ibadan.
The protesters, chanting solidarity songs, demanded the immediate reinstatement of the sacked workers and the payment of the national minimum wage.
Martin condemned the actions of outsourcing agents associated with IBEDC, accusing them of exploiting workers through unpaid minimum wages and unexplained salary deductions.
“We are here today to express our total displeasure over the unjust and inhumane treatment of workers by IBEDC and their outsourcing agents.
“Over 3,000 workers have been thrown into the unemployment market without any justifiable reason. These are people who have dedicated their time and energy to this company, and they are now being treated like disposable items,” Martin said.
The NLC Chairman also highlighted the issue of unpaid minimum wage and the alleged exploitation of workers by outsourcing companies.
“These outsourcing agents are not only refusing to pay the minimum wage, but they are also making arbitrary deductions from the meagre salaries of the workers. This is unacceptable, and we will not stand for it,” he said.
The union presented a list of seven key demands to the IBEDC management, including: “Implementation of the new minimum wage, prompt payment of Retirement Savings Account (RSA) backlogs, regularisation of outsourced staff, an end to the denial of union membership for staff, provision of adequate and standard healthcare services, payment of all outstanding allowances and compensations.”
Martin appealed to Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, and other stakeholders to intervene in the matter, warning that the mass dismissal of workers could have serious security implications for the state.
“We are calling on Governor Makinde and other well-meaning Nigerians to come to our aid. The rate of unemployment in the country is already alarming, and further adding to it will only create more problems, including security challenges,” he said..
The NLC chairman urged the IBEDC management to engage in dialogue with the union to find an amicable resolution to the issues before the situation escalates.
“We are not here to cause trouble, but we are determined to fight for the rights of our members. We are ready for dialogue, but we will not back down until our demands are met,” Martin stated.
The protest caused significant traffic congestion in the area, leaving many commuters stranded.
