Strike: Electricity workers shut down Lagos DisCo offices
Electricity workers under the auspices of National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) shut down commercial activities at Lagos’ two electricity companies - Eko and Ikeja electricity distribution companies.
The workers who arrived at Alausa Ikeja, company’s gate as early as 8am on Tuesday, singing solidarity songs, prevented workers, including top executives of the company from entering the premises.
Even electricity customers who had come to the company with complaints were ordered to stay away pending the resolution of their demands by the Federal Government.
Although the company’s head of corporate communications, Felix Ofulue, said Ikeja Electric was not part of the strike, when Daily Trust visited the office at 2pm on Tuesday, only security men were seen informing visitors about the strike.
“Please note that Ikeja Electric is not part of the strike. However, members of the union may have disrupted operations in some of our offices, so we urge you to kindly bear with us”, he said
Similar development was replicated at Eko Electric, Broad Street, Lagos, where workers who had resumed for work were turned back.
The National President of United Labour Congress (ULC), Joe Ajaero, is the secretarygeneral of NUEE
Meanwhile, tanker drivers failed to load fuel at designated depots in Lagos metropolis.
There was no loading in most of the oil depots visited on Monday. At Apapa yesterday, skeletal activities were noticed. At NIPCO, AIteo, petrol tankers were seen forming long queues, with no sign of loading. At major oil marketers’ depots in the same axis, Mobil, Total and Oando, there was also no loading.
Lagos zonal chairman of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG), Nojeemdeen Korodo, told Daily Trust that the union is in total compliance with ULC’s directive and that there would be no loading until the union received signal from the national executives.
Similarly, Nigerian Union of Railway Workers (NURW) junior workers also embarked on a sit at work strategy as part of their solidarity to the on-going strike.
An official of the union who pleaded anonymity told Daily Trust that the junior workers were already on strike and that the senior workers would join.
Also, the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) secretary general, Ocheme Aba, told Daily Trust that the impact of the strike may not be immediately felt as it was not part of the UCL’s strategy to shut down the airspace.