Labour union demands reinstatement of over 900 sacked AEDC staff within 48 hours

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), demanding the reinstatement of over 900 workers who were laid off, or risk facing industrial action.

This was contained in a statement released by the NLC following its picketing of the AEDC headquarters in Abuja.
NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, stated that the mass dismissal of staff by AEDC was carried out under false pretexts. He referenced an earlier claim by the company’s management that only employees who had reached or were close to retirement age would be affected.
However, he revealed that findings by the union showed a different situation, as most of the affected workers were not near retirement. Some had spent less than five or six years in service, while many others had only worked for about two to three years.
The statement further noted that although AEDC had promised to review the exercise, no action has been taken six months later despite several consultative meetings.
It also highlighted that tension heightened at the AEDC headquarters when NLC leaders arrived for a scheduled meeting with management but discovered that the Managing Director was absent.
The labour leader also criticized power generation companies for seeking substantial government bailouts while failing to meet their responsibilities, warning that any infringement on workers’ rights would be strongly resisted.