Labour demands electricity tariff hike reversal, issues 3-day ultimatum

Organised Labour has given the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) three days to reverse the electricity tariff to N65/kwh.

The labour also asked the NERC to cease segregation of electricity consumers into bands or have workers besiege their offices.

This was contained in a letter signed by the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Festus Osifo, and addressed to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NERC.

Others copied in the letter sighted by journalists on Thursday, May 9, 2024, were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), the Minister of Labour and Employment, the Minister of Power, and all Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos).

The labour leaders, who were appalled by the position of NERC whom they said had abandoned the people they were meant to protect, accused the electricity regulator of bias and dancing to the wishes of those they described as oppressors of the masses.

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The letter read in part: “The announced tariff hike not only defies the established procedure mandated by law but also tramples upon the rights of Nigerian citizens.

“It is a flagrant abuse of power and a clear violation of the trust bestowed upon your Commission by Nigerian people. Such actions will not be tolerated, and we refuse to accept them as the new norm.

“Nigerian workers and masses led by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), stand united in denouncing this injustice. It is our duty to defend the rights of our fellow citizens against exploitation. Therefore, we issue the following demands:

“An immediate reversal of the hike in electricity tariff to N65/kwh. Immediate cessation of the discriminatory practice of segregating electricity consumers into arbitrary bands.

“Restoration of the supremacy of the statutes governing the conduct of operators within the electricity industry.

“We give you until Sunday, the 12th day of May 2024, to comply. Failure to do this will result in swift and decisive action on our part as we will not hesitate to mobilise our members and occupy all NERC’s offices and those of the DisCos nationwide until justice is served.”

The Star