Blackout don grip Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti states after members of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, shut down facilities of BEDC Electricity Plc over salary and welfare packages. For the Benin City headquarters of the company, NUEE officials blocked staff from entering the premises and shut down vital operational facilities, and the action don cause blackout since early hours of Monday.
One senior staff of the company wey tell Vanguard in confidence say the action surprise them, and that some of the workers even harassed staff wey try record wetin dem dey do. The staff said the current management recently reviewed their emoluments. Calls to NUEE Chairman for Edo, Williams Uwumarogie, were not picked. But acting State Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Bernard Egwakide, said NLC had earlier intervened inside the labour dispute. He said NUEE leadership and management of the company were in a meeting, and the outcome go determine whether NLC go intervene.
BEDC Electricity Plc don defend its staff welfare record. Evelyn Gbiwen, head of Branding and Corporate Communications, said the management wey assume office for March 2025 don promote more than 1,500 employees and pay long-service awards to 1,394 workers. She said 1,394 employees received long-service awards for September 2026, with 1,125 workers getting 10-year award and 269 getting five-year award. Gbiwen also said the company don start exit-token payments to retiring employees and introduce financial support for workers wey lose their parents. She said management review health insurance arrangements and bring operational incentives and vehicles to improve staff welfare and field operations.
On salary disparities, Gbiwen blame the 2013 restructuring. She said retained employees continue under existing salary arrangements while workers wey dem recruit later enter different pay structure. She said financial and audit consultants don dey engaged to review employee records and develop framework for salary harmonisation, but the company no announce completion date or disclose financial implications. She also cite meeting with the union on October 7, 2026, where both sides discuss salary harmonisation and other employee issues, and the understanding reach talk say further progress on welfare initiatives go happen by second week of November.
NUEE however say the industrial action follow repeated attempts to secure management commitment to resolve longstanding grievances. The union allege say some employees don remain for same grade for more than 13 years, and e demand uniform salary structure and better conditions of service. NUEE give management until October 26 to address the demands. BEDC Electricity Plc say e remain
