Workers at the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company ,IBEDC in Ogun State have embarked on indefinite strike to press home their demands.
The strike, according to the workers was hinged on non- implimentation of the new minimum wage, non remittance of pension and cooperative deductions, alleged disengagement of 17 staff among other staff welfare concerns.
We observed that the IBEDC office located along Abiola way, Abeokuta, was under lock and key, as workers were seen with placards with different inscriptions including ” Pay our PFA, cooperative deductions now” IBEDC, reverse your illegal disengagement of our members now” “Implement the new minimum wage” amongst others.
Addressing Newsmen in Abeokuta,the Vice President of the National Union of Electricity Employees, Lagos-Ogun Zone, Mr Abiodun Shobayo stated that the demonstration was aimed to express the union’s grievances, emphasizing that it’s time for their voices to be heard.
Mr Shobayo noted that the workers were left with no choice than to embark on the indefinite strike given the unwillingness of the IBEDC management to attend to their concerns for the past nine months.
Our pensions and cooperative deductions running to billions of naira are not remitted, we are not given imprest, people have been using their personal money to run the company, to clear electricity faults , go about to distribute electricity bills.”
He maintained that the strike would remain indefinite until the management was ready to meet up with their demands,saying the strike affects all IBEDC franchises across six South-West states, Kwara, and Kogi.
