Developing reports suggest that the Labour Unions have shut down major TCN stations across the country, cutting power supply to electricity consumers.
This is coming on the heel of threats from Labour unions to shut down power supply over Labour-related issues with the Ministry of Power.
The Electricity workers under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) had on Tuesday, August 16, grounded the operations of TCN nationwide with the picketing of its office across the country for reneging on the agreement it had reached with the unions some years ago.
The aggrieved electricity workers who had vowed to paralyse the operations of TCN over its anti-masses activities said that the exercise that they carried out on Tuesday was a prelude to an indefinite strike action which is expected to commence today (Wednesday, August 17).
The TCN in its reaction to the threat of industrial action, appealed to electricity workers to suspend their proposed strike over staff welfare, assuring that it had taken steps to resolve the issues that had been highlighted by the union.
Also, the Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba, appealed to the union to give the government 2 weeks to address the issues raised and come up with proposals for an acceptable resolution of all of them.
He noted that the ministry was committed to proffering solutions that would be acceptable to all parties concerned.
Despite appeals from the Minister of State for Power and the TCN management for time to resolve the issues, the electricity workers appeared adamant as they made good their threat to continue with their industrial action.
NUEE in a letter dated August 16, 2022, signed by its General Secretary, Joe Ajaero, and addressed to the Minister of State for Power, said that members of the union would continue with its industrial action with a total withdrawal of service on Wednesday.
Ajaero in the letter expressed regrets that the agreement that the union reached with TCN due to the intervention of the minister has not been implemented 3 years after.
