Folarin Kehinde

The ongoing industrial unrest in Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company, KADECO, over the sack of 900 employees has entered the third day crippling operations of the company with no signs of ending.

This came as the National Electricity Employees, NUEE, issued a January 10, deadline to KADECO recall all the sacked workers among others, threatening to escalate the industrial crisis to a national scale.
Recall has Monday sacked no fewer than 900 employees, promising to pay their benefits at no specified date.

NUEE in a statement by its Acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, among others, said “We wish to draw the attention of the Company’s Management to the fact that embarking on such mass sack of their staff, who are our members.

Without recourse to the provision of the Company’s Conditions of Service is an insult to the Union and fragrant violation and disregard of Section 20 of the Nigeria Labour Act, which “requires an employer to notify the Trade Union or workers’ representative of the reasons for and the extent of the redundancy before terminating the employment of its staff on account of redundancy”.

“Also, it is a total violation of ILO Convention No.98, which clearly stipulates the “Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining.” This action of yours is totally unacceptable.”
Enumerating alleged sins of KADECO, before the present industrial crisis, NUEE said “Your unfair labour practices include no provision of medical services to the workers. Disregard to and Non-implementation of all signed Heads of Agreement with Management.
Non-remittance of five years pensions deductions to employees’

Retirement Saving Account.
Failure to pay exit packages for Retired workers five years after
retirement
“Non-promotion of deserving staff thereby stagnating them in one
position for more than five years.
Inadequate provision of working tools and materials. Failure to pay Death Benefits to families of deceased staff.
Non-payment of Electricity Rebate to staff. Non-implementation of National Minimum Wage.

“We demand the KADECO Management to withdraw these sack letters, rescind its earlier decision and return to status quo ante and be ready to address all outstanding labour issues in the Company with the Union through dialogue and the spirit of collective bargaining to avert the looming danger Management action has posed to the Sector.

“Consequently, if by Monday, 10th February, 2025, these sacked workers are not recalled and other pending labour issues are not resolved, we shall have no choice but to escalate our protest against this gross injustice to all the Electricity companies across the country.

“Nigerians and the general public are therefore put on notice of the impending crisis and the Management of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company should be held responsible for anything that will happen to the already fragile state of the electricity sector in the country.”