Power plant workers in Nigeria have gone on an indefinite strike to demand compensation, plunging Africa’s most populous country into darkness (AFP/Archives/PIUS UTOMI EKPEI)
Power plant workers in Nigeria have suspended their national strike which has left Africa’s most populous country partially in darkness for 24 hours, a union official said on Thursday.
The strike was suspended after an emergency meeting with the government, which promised to consider the strikers’ demands within two weeks, announced Joe Ajaero of the National Union of Electrical Workers.
“We have suspended the strike. Operations are back to normal with immediate effect,” he said, adding: “if in two weeks nothing is done, we will resume the strike.”
The UEEE launched a national strike on Wednesday to compel the government to honor the terms of a 2019 agreement, which provided for the payment of wages to retired workers at a former state-owned power company.
“We have shut down all the power plants and plants in the country. Our members are currently on strike at the plants and facilities operated by the TCN,” the state-owned Transmission Company of Nigeria, Joe Ajaero told AFP.
As of Wednesday morning, residents had reported power cuts in Lagos, the economic capital (southwest), in Kano (north) as well as in Port Harcourt, the oil capital (southeast).
Nigeria has a generating capacity of 7,000 megawatts but distributes only 4,000 to consumers due to technical difficulties, causing daily power outages.
The regular supply of gas to power power stations is also a major problem.
Many homes and businesses rely on diesel-powered generators, which drives up operating costs.
© 2022 AFP
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