National Blackout Looms As NUEE Demands Recall of Sacked 900 KADECO Workers

The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has demanded that all nine hundred (900) sacked workers of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KADECO) should be recalled and all sacked letters withdrawn.

In the letters signed by Abubakar Mohammed, Deputy Managing Director, Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KADECO), nine hundred (900) employees of the company were sacked and directed to hand over the company’s properties in their possession to the Human Resources Department with immediate effect.

Operations at the company have been paralysed as workers protest the mass sack, alongside other grievances, including non-payment of outstanding pensions to retirees, inadequate work tools, lack of promotions for deserving staff, and non-implementation of the 2024 National Minimum Wage.

In a press statement signed by Dominic Igwebike, Ag. General Secretary NUEE and made available made available to newsmen on Tuesday, he said “if by Monday, 10th February, 2025, the sacked workers are not recalled and other pending labour issues are not resolved, “they shall have no choice but to escalate our protest against this gross injustice to all the Electricity companies across the country.”

NUEE also added that, it is a total violation of ILO Convention No.98, which clearly stipulates the “Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining.”

The National Union of Electricity Employees also alerted Nigerians and the general public that they are “therefore put on notice of the impending crisis and the Management of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company should be held responsible for anything that will happen to the already fragile state of the electricity sector in the country.”

Read Full Press release below

SACK OF OVER NINE HUNDRED (900) WORKERS: DANGER LOOMS

Our attention has been drawn to your letter of 31st January, 2025, signed by the Deputy Managing Director – Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KADECO), Abubakar Mohammed sacking over nine hundred (900) employees of the company who were subsequently directed to hand over the company’s properties in their possession to the Human Resources Department with immediate effect.

We wish to draw the attention of the Company’s Management to the fact that embarking on such mass sack of their staff, who are our members without recourse to the provision of the Company’s Conditions of Service is an insult to the Union and fragrant violation and disregard of Section 20 of the Nigeria Labour Act, which “requires an employer to notify the Trade Union or workers’ representative of the reasons for and the extent of the redundancy before terminating the employment of its staff on account of redundancy”.

Also, it is a total violation of ILO Convention No.98, which clearly stipulates the “Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining.”

This action of yours is totally unacceptable.

Your unfair labour practices include: but not limited to:

1. Absence of medical services to the workers.
2. Disregard to and Non implementation of all signed Heads of Agreement with Management.
3. Non remittance of Five (5) years pension deductions to employees’ Retirement Saving Account.
4. Failure to pay exit packages for Retired workers five (5) years after retirement
5. Non promotion of deserving staff thereby stagnating them in one position for more than five years.
6. Inadequate provision of working tools and materials.
7. Failure to pay Death Benefit to families of deceased staff.
8. Non-payment of Electricity Rebate to staff.
9. Non implementation of National Minimum Wage.

We demand the KADECO Management to withdraw these sack letters, rescind its earlier decision and return to status quo ante and be ready to address all outstanding labour issues in the Company with the Union through dialogue and the spirit of collective bargaining to avert the looming danger Management action has posed to the Sector.

Consequently, if by Monday, 10th February, 2025, these sacked workers are not recalled and other pending labour issues are not resolved, we shall have no choice but to escalate our protest against this gross injustice to all the Electricity companies across the country.

Nigerians and the general public are therefore put on notice of the impending crisis and the Management of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company should be held responsible for anything that will happen to the already fragile state of the electricity sector in the country.

Thank you.

Dominic Igwebike
Ag. General Secretary.

Dated this 4th Day of February, 2025.