Workers of the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KADECO) in Nigeria have embarked on an indefinite strike in protest against the company’s plan to dismiss over 900 employees.
The workers, under the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), also accused the management of neglecting key labor agreements and failing to address longstanding grievances.
On Monday, the protesting workers blocked the entrance to KADECO’s corporate headquarters, preventing employees and customers from entering. Carrying placards with various inscriptions, they demanded that the management reconsider its decision and fulfill its obligations to workers.
According to NUEE’s North West Zonal Organising Secretary, Barde, the strike was triggered by several unresolved issues, including the non-payment of pensions to retirees for the past five years and the failure to provide exit benefits to employees who had resigned or retired. He also criticized the company for not implementing the national minimum wage, failing to promote deserving staff, and neglecting to provide necessary work tools.
Barde insisted that the union would resist any attempt to dismiss the affected employees, describing the planned mass layoff as unjust.
Meanwhile, KADECO’s management has defended its decision, stating that affected employees had been officially notified. A letter signed by the company’s Deputy Managing Director, Abubakar Mohammed, and dated January 31, 2025, informed the workers that their services were no longer required. It also directed them to return company property and assured them that severance packages would be arranged.
The strike highlights ongoing labor tensions in Nigeria’s power sector, where disputes over salaries, pensions, and working conditions have frequently led to industrial actions.
