The Edo State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has stepped in to end the strike crippling the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), insisting there is no reason for Edo to remain without power.
The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) began the strike early this week to force BEDC management to address workers’ welfare demands.
Speaking with newsmen at BEDC’s headquarters in Benin City, Edo NLC Chairman, Comrade Bernard Juman Eguakhide, said the strike has no justification in the state. The industrial action, he noted, has been called off in Delta, Bayelsa and Ekiti, three of the four states BEDC covers.
According to him, the NLC national leadership suspended the strike after reaching an agreement with the two unions operating in BEDC.
Eguakhide wanted to know why Edo was left out of that resolution. He accused NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, of pursuing personal interests.
“Prolonging the strike is not in the best interest of Edo residents,” he said, stressing that hospitals and other essential services depend on electricity to function and save lives.
He added that members of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state are opposed to leaving residents in darkness and are ready to resume work in the public interest. Residents and workers, he said, continue to bear the brunt of the blackout.
The Edo NLC boss also expressed surprise that the strike persists in the state despite the compromise reportedly reached at the meeting between the NLC and BEDC staff.
He urged Ajaero not to let personal differences within the union affect the welfare of Edo people, insisting the state cannot be excluded from the deal, especially as Benin City hosts BEDC’s headquarters.
Eguakhide described the continued outage as unfair, particularly if the workers’ demands have already been met. He called for a resolution that restores electricity while protecting the interests of both workers and residents.
