FOLLOWING the announcement of an indefinite nationwide strike by organised labour in Nigeria, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has also informed of plans to embark on an indefinite strike starting Monday, June 3, 2024.

In an official letter signed by the union’s Acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike the strike is due to the failure of the Nigerian Government to implement and sign into law the new national minimum wage on or before May 31, 2024.

The letter also identified non-reversal of the electricity tariff which was hiked from N65/kWh(kilowatts) to N225/kwh(kilowatts) without consulting the stakeholders as required by the law and apartheid categorization of Nigeria’s electricity consumers into bands” as other reasons for the industrial action.

Igwebike in the letter called on all the executives to mobilise their members to comply with the directive, adding that withdrawal of services becomes effective at midnight on Sunday, June 2.

“Given the above, all National, State, and Chapter executives are requested to start the
mobilisation of our members in total compliance with this directive to ensure the government does the right thing as stated above.

“You are encouraged to work with the leadership of State Executive Councils (SEC) of the Congress in your various states to have a successful action. The withdrawal of services becomes effective Sunday 2nd June by midnight,” the letter read.

The president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, during a joint news conference with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) leadership in Abuja on Friday, May 31, declared a nationwide strike to commence from Monday, June 3, over the federal government’s failure to meet its demand for a new minimum wage.

Meanwhile, the federal government has pleaded with organised labour in Nigeria to reconsider its decision to embark on the strike, noting that whatever the government does is in the interest of Nigerians and the FG has already made an offer of N60,000.