NLC on Monday, May 13, gave the Federal Government (FG) condition for negotiation over its protest against hike in electricity tariff, insisting on reversal of power supply and consumption rate schedule tagged Band A.
By Emma Ogbuehi
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday, May 13, gave the Federal Government (FG) condition for negotiation over its protest against hike in electricity tariff, insisting on reversal of power supply and consumption rate schedule tagged Band A. The schedule puts consumers on Band A on minimum of 20-hour power supply with increased tariff.
Recall the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on April 3, 2024, announced the approval of a new electricity tariff for band A customers. The adjustment was from N68/kwh to N125/kwh.
The protest saw organized labour across the country picketing offices of electricity distribution companies and National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). The sealing of the offices disrupted commercial and administrative activities at the facilities picketed.
Speaking at the Federal Ministry of Power, also known as Power House, Abuja, the NLC president, Joe Ajaero said the government must return to the previous supply and consumption schedule before any negotiation with the workers.
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The Power Minister, Chief Adebayo Adelabu who was absent because he reportedly attended the Federal Executive Council meeting was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Mamudan Mamman.
He told the protesting unions that owing to the National Assembly intervention, the minister was set to invite the workers to negotiate the tariff.
Responding, Ajaero said without returning to the status quo before engagement, the negotiation could be under pressure.
He insisted that the federal government, “Go to the status quo because even before you engage have to return to the status quo. So that none of us will negotiate under any pressure and you now start from there. But it can’t be at band Z and band A and ask us to come and discuss. “
NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) had last week, given NERC till May 12 to withdraw the recent hike in electricity tariff or face unprecedented industrial action.
The demand came as the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company (IKEDC) announced a reduction in the tariff payable by its Band A customers to N206.80 per kilowatt-hour. The notice by the Ikeja electricity distributor said the reduction of the tariff for its premium customers would take effect from Monday, May 6, 2024.
The ultimatum on NERC was issued in a joint letter to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, CEO, dated May 3, 2024, and copied to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, the Ministers of Labour and Power and the electricity distribution companies, DisCos, among others, Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, President of NLC and its TUC’s counterpart