6th February 2025
Workers of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) have commenced an indefinite strike over unpaid minimum wage, unremitted pension and cooperative deductions, and the alleged dismissal of 17 employees.
During a visit to IBEDC’s Ogun Region office in Abeokuta on Thursday, employees were seen idling outside the locked main gate. Vice President of the National Union of Electricity Employees (Lagos/Ogun Zone), Abiodun Shobayo, stated that the strike follows nine months of failed negotiations with management.
“Our pension and cooperative deductions, worth billions, remain unremitted. Workers use personal funds to fix faults and distribute bills. The management refuses to negotiate the new minimum wage and continues sacking staff indiscriminately,” Shobayo said.
He also decried the high percentage of casual workers and warned against a repeat of the mass layoffs at Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company. The strike affects IBEDC’s entire service area, including six South-West states, Kwara, and Kogi.
The union demands full payment of outstanding entitlements and reinstatement of sacked workers before considering any negotiations.
