From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday staged a protest at the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) headquarters over the controversial dismissal of nearly 900 workers.

The union issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the company, warning that failure to address the crisis could lead to a shutdown of operations.

The protest led by NLC President Joe Ajaero, highlighted what the union described as a deceptive and unlawful exercise that threatens to set a dangerous precedent in the country’s power sector.

According to the workers’ body, AEDC had initially claimed that the dismissals targeted only workers at or near retirement age, which prompted the union to allow the process to proceed at the time.

NLC said subsequent investigations it carried out  revealed that many of those affected had served only a few years, with some not even reaching five or six years of service.

The Congress noted that despite repeated zonal-level engagements and promises from management to revisit the exercise, no corrective action had been taken six months later.

The tension reportedly escalated when NLC officials arrived for a scheduled meeting with AEDC management, only to find that the Managing Director was absent. Following this, the union said it suspended the meeting and instructed staff to remain on standby, effectively halting operations at the headquarters.

The NLC warned that if the company failed to respond within the 48-hour window, industrial action could extend beyond Abuja to all AEDC operational zones, potentially disrupting electricity supply across the Federal Capital Territory.

The union also used the protest to draw attention to broader concerns in Nigeria’s power sector, including poor electricity billing, unequal treatment among distribution companies, and management’s failure to meet union obligations.

Ajaero stressed that ongoing violations of labour laws could trigger wider unrest and called for full transparency and accountability from AEDC, including the publication of the names of disengaged staff along with their years of service and reasons for termination.

The NLC also raised concerns over poor conditions of service, unresolved staff welfare issues, and stalled promotions, criticizing management for prolonged dialogue that produced no tangible results, warning that continued disregard for workers’ rights would not be tolerated and stressed the need for justice for those unjustly dismissed.

“The union intervened on that understanding. No responsible labour leader would oppose the exit of legitimately retiring staff. This is the height of deceit. We came for dialogue, but the MD was nowhere to be found. Even zonal engagements have been lukewarm.

“If nothing changes within that timeframe, the workers who keep the system running will stay home, and the system will naturally be affected.

“Some companies demand trillions in bailouts while withholding billions in union dues dating back to 2012. How do you ask for trillions when you cannot meet your own responsibilities?

“Employers cannot expect protection from a system they blatantly ignore.Perpetual dialogue without implementation has no place in industrial relations.This is a day of reckoning. Unresolved labour issues don’t disappear, they resurface. Workers must remain vigilant and united. Justice must be done for those unjustly sacked, within the framework of the law,” it said.

The post NLC storms AEDC HQ over mass sack, gives 48-hour deadline appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.

From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday staged a protest at the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) headquarters over the controversial dismissal of nearly 900 workers.

The union issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the company, warning that failure to address the crisis could lead to a shutdown of operations.

The protest, led by NLC President Joe Ajaero, highlighted what the union described as a deceptive and unlawful exercise that threatens to set a dangerous precedent in the country’s power sector.

According to the workers’ body, AEDC had initially claimed that the dismissals targeted only workers at or near retirement age, which prompted the union to allow the process to proceed at the time.

The NLC said that subsequent investigations it carried out revealed that many of those affected had served only a few years, with some not even reaching five or six years of service.

The Congress noted that despite repeated zonal-level engagements and promises from management to revisit the exercise, no corrective action had been taken six months later.

Tensions reportedly escalated when NLC officials arrived for a scheduled meeting with AEDC management, only to find that the managing director was absent. Following this, the union said it suspended the meeting and instructed staff to remain on standby, effectively halting operations at the headquarters.

The NLC warned that if the company failed to respond within the 48-hour window, industrial action could extend beyond Abuja to all AEDC operational zones, potentially disrupting electricity supply across the Federal Capital Territory.

The union also used the protest to draw attention to broader concerns in Nigeria’s power sector, including poor electricity billing, unequal treatment among distribution companies, and management’s failure to meet union obligations.

Ajaero stressed that ongoing violations of labour laws could trigger wider unrest and called for full transparency and accountability from AEDC, including the publication of the names of disengaged staff along with their years of service and reasons for termination.

The NLC also raised concerns over poor conditions of service, unresolved staff welfare issues, and stalled promotions, criticising management for prolonged dialogue that has produced no tangible results. It warned that continued disregard for workers’ rights would not be tolerated and stressed the need for justice for those unjustly dismissed.

It said: “The union intervened on that understanding. No responsible labour leader would oppose the exit of legitimately retiring staff. This is the height of deceit. We came for a dialogue, but the MD was nowhere to be found. Even zonal engagements have been lukewarm.

“If nothing changes within that timeframe, the workers who keep the system running will stay home, and the system will naturally be affected.

“Some companies demand trillions in bailouts while withholding billions in union dues dating back to 2012. How do you ask for trillions when you cannot meet your own responsibilities?

“Employers cannot expect protection from a system they blatantly ignore. Perpetual dialogue without implementation has no place in industrial relations. This is a day of reckoning. Unresolved labour issues don’t disappear; they resurface. Workers must remain vigilant and united. Justice must be done for those unjustly sacked, within the framework of the law.”

The post NLC storms AEDC HQ over mass sack, gives 48-hour deadline appeared first on The Sun Nigeria.