NLC Gears Up for Showdown As IBEDC’s Refusal to Comply with Federal Govt Directives

…As Sacked Staff Cry Out for Justice

Following the sacking of over 3,000 electricity staff, the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), its outsourcing company Premier International Procurements and Logistics, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Ministry of Labour and Employment reached a deadlock.

The Electricity Company failed to fulfill its promise to reinstate the sacked staff as directed by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

The meeting, which was held at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Ikolaba, Ibadan ended in stalemate.

Speaking with newsmen, Comrade Kayode Martin, Chairman of the NLC Oyo State Chapter, said the meeting failed because IBEDC refused to comply with federal government directives to reinstate or compensate the sacked staff according to labor law.

Martin emphasized that the Labour Congress is prepared to take action against the electricity company to protect the rights of the sacked staff.

In his remarks, Festus Igbinosun, Comptroller of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, advised all parties involved to maintain the status quo and called for a more robust meeting to resolve the matter peacefully.

Meanwhile, the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), through its Coordinating Head of Corporate Services, Angela Olanrewaju, appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress to exercise patience while discussions progress.

The company also advised the labor union to refrain from picketing its offices or disrupting its operations.