Power disruption looms as workers shutdown Osogbo Transmission Company over strike

Members of the National Union of Electricity Employees in Osun State on Tuesday joined the warning strike called by the national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress to protest the negative impacts of the removal of fuel subsidy.

Our correspondent monitoring compliance with the NLC directive in Osogbo observed that some workers of Osogbo Region Transmission Company of Nigeria were locked out of the premises.

Also, some branches of commercial banks in Osogbo did not open to customers, while some others opened for business.

Security presence was also observed at Old Garage, Ola-Iya, and Oke Fia Areas of the state capital.

Meanwhile, at the Osogbo head office of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, the entrance to the premises was locked and a staff of the company who spoke on condition of anonymity said the workers also joined the warning strike.

Some electricity workers at the Osogbo Region Transmission Company of Nigeria, who expressed concerns that there may be disruption in power supply due to the strike, lamented that the removal of fuel subsidy and the government’s lack of concrete plans to cushion the effects of the removal and ameliorate the hardship it has put many Nigerians in.

However, at the Osun Government Secretariat in Osogbo, some workers were at their duty posts.

Speaking with our correspondent, Vice President West, National Union of Electricity Employees, Comrade Sodiq Adewale, said members of his union being an affiliate of NLC complied with the directive to down tools.

He said, “We are part of the strike and we are critical stakeholders as far as NLC is concerned.

“Presently, in compliance with the NLC directive, we are mandated to embark on a warning strike which started today and will continue tomorrow. As you can see, the whole place is under lock. Nobody is coming in and as time goes on, we are going to be reviewing our activities at the level of our actions.

“So far from our end, we have total compliance. Nobody is saying there is going to be a disruption of power, but our men are out. We are not tampering with anything.

“Generally, look at the economy. We are talking about palliatives, it has to be fast. How long will it take the process to be implemented? They have to fast-track whatever processes they are working on to alleviate the suffering of the masses.”

Also speaking with The PUNCH, Osun NLC acting chairperson, Modupe Oyedele, said those workers that resumed at the Government Secretariat were members of the Trade Union Congress.

She however noted that staff members at the local government areas across the state all complied with the strike directive.

On the demands of the striking workers, Oyedele further said, “Our demand is about the hike in PMS which is making lives of Nigerians to be somehow difficult due to the removal of subsidy. Another one is the interference of FG in the NURTW crisis whereby the national secretariat of the body was taken over.

“There are some union affiliates that are not under NLC, they did not join. TUC did not join. All the local government area workers joined the strike. Every workforce under the NLC is in full compliance with the strike action.”

(Punch)

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