Blackout looms in Kano as KEDCO staff threaten strike

The residents of Kano may be thrown into a blackout in the coming days as employees of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) are set to embark on strike over unremitted pension deduction.

The electricity workers under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) issued a 14-day strike notice to the KEDCO management over failure to remit to their Pension Fund Administration (PFAs).

The workers vowed to scuttle the operations of the distribution company should the management fail to comply with their demands.

The union through its General Secretary, Joe Ajaero, said they had earlier petitioned the KEDCO Managing Director and DSS on the issue of what he described as “management’s persistent refusal to remit third party deductions and its flagrant disregard for agreements reached with the union on this and other outstanding labour issues.”

Ajaero said: “At a meeting held on 30th March 2022, between the union and KEDCO management over delay in implementing the report of the committee highlighted above alongside promotion related- issues, management made a promise to commence payment without delay.

“Again, KEDCO management failed to live up to its agreement to commence payment of third party deduction and effect payment of new salaries to promoted staff without delay, the union expressed its displeasure via memo NUEE/ZOS/KD/2022/170 dated 15th April, 2022.”

According to him, the management neglected their demands after reaching agreement including reaching out to them several times.

He lamented that “it appears that the CFO has refused to return from Abuja as about 12 months’ union dues, 12 months’ staff cooperative, 56 months’contributory pension arrears just to mention a few, have not been remitted and other labour issues unaddressed till date.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the management of the company were unsuccessful as calls and messages sent were yet to be responded to as of press time.

The Star

Aminu Adamu Naganye