May 13, (THEWILL)- The organised labour under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has grounded business activities at the head office of the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
The unions, as early as 6:30 in the morning, converged on the Yerwa business office of the company to protest the recent hike in electricity tariff by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).
Addressing the protesters, the Borno State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Yusuf Inuwa, said the decision to picket the NERC and distribution companies was reached by the central working committee of the two congresses to express their displeasure over the recent increase of the tariff.
He explained that the hike has subjected Nigerian workers to untold hardship, hence the demand for the immediate reversal.
“We don’t have a NERC office in Maiduguri, that is why we converged on the YEDC office, which is the major DISCO office here. We are picketing the office to express our dismay over the hike in electricity tariff,” Inuwa said.
The State Secretary of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Comrade Baba Mohammed, said the organised labour in the state has fully complied with the directive of the national officers, noting that no business activities will be carried out by the company throughout the day.
He lamented that workers can no longer pay their electricity bills because of the exponential increase, calling on the Federal Government to immediately intervene.
Comrade Mohammed said if the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission and Discos refused to revert to the old tariff, the labour unions will strategies to take further action.
