On Tuesday, February 18, the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company ceased operations due to a protest organized by the Nigeria Labour Congress’s Oyo State chapter.
Kayode Martin, the chairman of the Oyo State NLC, organized the demonstration to voice their displeasure over the recent termination of more than 3,000 IBEDC employees.
The IBEDC office was closed and traffic in the Challenge to Dugbe neighborhood of Ibadan was disrupted as the union members blocked the entrance.
Chanting songs of sympathy, the demonstrators called for the payment of the national minimum wage and the prompt reinstatement of the fired employees.
Martins said “We are here today to express our total displeasure over the unjust and inhumane treatment of workers by IBEDC and their outsourcing agents.
“Over 3,000 workers have been thrown into the unemployment market without any justifiable reason. These are people who have dedicated their time and energy to this company, and they are now being treated like disposable items.
“These outsourcing agents are not only refusing to pay the minimum wage, but they are also making arbitrary deductions from the meagre salaries of the workers. This is unacceptable, and we will not stand for it.
“We are calling on Governor Makinde and other well-meaning Nigerians to come to our aid. The rate of unemployment in the country is already alarming, and further adding to it will only create more problems, including security challenges.
“We are not here to cause trouble, but we are determined to fight for the rights of our members. We are ready for dialogue, but we will not back down until our demands are met.”