By Adeyinka Adeniran
For the second day running, electricity workers on Friday staged a peaceful protest at the headquarters of the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), Ring Road, Ibadan.
The protest which started on Thursday saw more workers under the aegis of National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) joining their counterpart to express displeasure with the sack of 17 of their colleagues amongst other unfavourable conditions in the workplace.
Other issues, according to the protesters include: the casualization of workers without formal employment, non payment of hazard allowance, maltreatment of staff, and engaging their staff under slave labour.
While the protest lasted, the aggrieved workers ensure that the facility was under lock and key, making it inaccessible for customers. Only few top management staff were allowed in, while other staffs were denied entrance.
The workers, after chanting solidarity songs at the IBEDC headquarters office later moved to their recruitment outsourcing agent, Premier International Procurement logistics, which they accused of engaging employees as casual workers for years, paying them meager salaries without prospects of full employment.
The protesters also expressed concerns about deductions from staffers’ salaries without remittance.
Speaking, one of the casual workers Oluwatobiloba Omisore claimed that IBEDC and the outsourcing recruitment agent are engaging their staff with undue labour without a commensurate payment for the services rendered to the company.
Also, another protester, Olaoye Luqman called on the President Bola Tinubu, Minister of Labour and Employment and Minister of Power to intervene and rescue them from exploitation by their employers, stressing that they are Nigerians and are entitled to right to dignity of labour.
They further appealed to Oyo state Governor, Seyi Makinde to help them from being misuse in the face of the unfair treatment by their employers noting that they have the right to enjoy the minimum wage been pronounced by the federal government.
Effort to get the reaction from the Managing Director of the Outsourcing Recruitment Agent, Mr Wale Adeniji proved abortive as he declined speaking with journalist.
Corenews reports that the Head of Branding and Corporate Communications IBEDC, Angela Olanrewaju on Thursday denied claims that the company has casual workers, saying their duties have been outsourced.
At the time of filling this report, many of the protesters are at the entrance gate of the outsourcing recruitment agent who stand as the middle-man between IBEDC and its ‘casual workers.’
Many of the protesters carried placards with various inscriptions, with some reading: “Premier International Procurement logistics stop exploiting us”, “IBEDC we are all entitled to equal salary payment”
