Kwara Labour Locks Out IBEDC Workers, Customers Over Electricity Tariff

In a major turn of events, the Nigeria Labour Congress on Monday shut the gates of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company in Ilorin, Kwara State locking out staff and customers alike.

The union was seeking the reversal of the electricity tariff earlier imposed by IBEDC.

The Labour Unions who were at the IBEDC offices in Challenge and Baboko market areas in Ilorin as early as 7 am locked the gates leading to the premises and prevented the workers and customers from going into the premises.

READ: Workers Stranded As Labour Union Shuts Down Jos DisCo Over Tariff Hike

A few of the workers of IBEDC were seen lurking around the area while others left as they were not allowed to have access to the premises by the labour unions.

The Chairman of NLC in Kwara state, Comrade Muritala Olayinka said that the union was carrying out the instruction of the national Secretariat of the NLC.

Olayinka said that the IBEDC offices would remain closed until there’s a counter directive from the NLC Secretariat in Abuja.

“The Directive from the National Secretariat of NLC said that the picketing is for today but we will get in touch with the leadership of NLC if it will continue”, he said.

Earlier, the labour unions had given the NERC, till May 12 to withdraw the recent hike in electricity tariff or face unprecedented industrial action.

The ultimatum 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.