Nationwide blackout as electricity workers join NLC’s strike

Nationwide blackout as electricity workers join NLC’s strike

Electricity workers have shut down the national grid following the declaration of an indefinite strike by organised labour unions.

Ndidi Mbah, the spokesperson for Transmission Company of Nigeria, confirmed this to journalists on Tuesday.

According to her, electricity workers, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), followed directives of the Nigeria Labour Congress to withdraw their services around 11:20 am on Monday, leading to a nationwide blackout.

“Electricity workers are NLC members; they’ve followed the directive by organised labour to withdraw their services from Tuesday,” she stated.

READ ALSO: Nationwide Strike: FG convenes emergency meeting with labour leaders

Neptune Prime observed that the Federal Capital Territory and its environs are experiencing a blackout since the commencement of the nationwide strike Monday night.

After an attack on the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, in Imo State, the workers union in conjunction with Trade Union Congress announced a nationwide indefinite strike starting Tuesday, a directive that disobeyed a court order restraining them from doing so.

Reacting to the development, the Presidency, in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, said strike action by unions was a flagrant disobedience to court order and a lack of respect for the judiciary.

Accordingly, the government expressed displeasure that the nation’s economy and social activities should not suffer because of the personal interest of any labour leader.

Neptune Prime reports that the federal government has convened an emergency meeting with the leaders of labour unions in an effort to resolve the issue.

The leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress are expected to meet with the Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Simon Lalong, on Tuesday.