By ABIODUN LAWAL

Staff of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) in Ogun on Thursday embarked on an indefinite strike over the non-implementation of the new minimum wage, non-remittance of pension and Cooperative deductions.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workers began the action by locking the gates to the IBEDC office at Leme in Abeokuta.

Speaking with newsmen at the office entrance, Abiodun Shobayo, the Vice-President of National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Lagos/Ogun Zone, said the workers were left with no other option.

He stated as a reason the unwillingness of the IBEDC management to attend to their concerns in the past nine months.

Shobayo said the IBEDC management would not be allowed to continue to take the workers for granted on issues which had been on for nine months.

“For instance, our pensions contributions and Cooperative deductions running to billions of Naira have not been remitted.

“Also, we are not given imprest, and our people have been using their personal money to run the company, to clear electricity faults, and go about to distribute electricity bills.

“Furthermore, the management is not ready to implement the new minimum wage. It is not ready for negotiation, complaining that there is no fund.

“It has also started sacking workers indiscriminately without recourse to the conditions of service,” he stated.

Shobayo went on to disclose that 70 per cent of those working in Abeokuta for IBEDC were casual workers, noting that this was not right.

He then stated that they demand all monies being owed them (workers) should be paid, while the sacked workers must be reinstated.

“It is after this that we can be talking about calling the strike off,” Shobayo said.

NAN reports that all efforts to speak with the company’s management on this development have for several hours proved abortive. (NAN)