The NLC President Joe Ajaero has criticized the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) for accusing the NLC’s monitoring and compliance team of attacking TCN workers at their facilities.
The TCN had reported a complete shutdown of Nigeria’s power grid by labour unions as the strike commenced. The NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) initiated a nationwide strike on Monday to protest the Federal Government’s proposed ₦60,000 minimum wage.
TCN spokesperson Ndidi Mbah claimed in a statement on Monday morning that the grid shutdown was a deliberate act by the workers.
In response, the NLC refuted these allegations, asserting that Nigerian workers would not be intimidated by misinformation from TCN or any government agency.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress categorically states that Nigerian workers will not be intimidated by the management of any organization or government entity over our rightful decision to withdraw services through the indefinite nationwide strike that commenced earlier this morning. Spreading outright falsehood to mislead the public instead of working with other stakeholders to resolve the issues raised by Nigerian workers via the NLC and TUC is not helpful in any way,” the NLC’s statement read.
The statement also emphasized that such misinformation would only exacerbate the anger of the already suffering masses burdened by the Federal Government’s harsh policies. It pointed out that TCN was not the only entity affected by the strike, as other organizations were also impacted.
The NLC highlighted that both the NLC and TUC had informed the Federal Government since early May 2024 about issues including the incomplete National Minimum Wage negotiation and the hike in electricity tariffs. Their demands for completing the wage-setting process and reversing the electricity tariff hike to ₦66/kWh had not been positively addressed.
The statement questioned TCN’s understanding of industrial action dynamics and denied any mistreatment of workers at TCN locations. It suggested that TCN’s attempt to undermine the strike by forcing workers to remain at work backfired. The grid’s shutdown was a direct result of workers withdrawing their services, highlighting the critical role of workers in maintaining operations.
“Nigerian workers, led by the NLC and TUC, have exercised due caution and unusual patience in our engagement with our social partners, and this restraint has been grossly abused, unfortunately, which has led us to the present impasse. Trying to pass the blame instead of accepting responsibility and taking necessary steps to put its house in order will not allow the Transmission Company of Nigeria to make discernible progress,” the statement continued.
The NLC urged TCN to fulfill its responsibilities to Nigerians, particularly in the electricity sector, rather than attempting to malign Nigerian workers through deliberate falsehoods.
The NLC also criticized TCN’s alleged use of the military to intimidate workers, calling it an abuse of power and an insult to the military in a democratic setting.
“It is also important that we inform TCN that deploying military men to its locations is a clear abuse and insult to the military, especially in a democracy. We are sure that members of the military so misused by this deployment are not happy with the management and the authorities who have authorized the deployment,” the statement added.
The NLC concluded by reaffirming its commitment to fighting for a fair living wage and the reversal of the electricity tariff hike. They urged all Nigerians to support their cause, vowing not to succumb to blackmail, intimidation, or harassment
