Two of Nigeria’s major electricity unions have called off their planned nationwide strike after reaching a critical agreement with the Federal Government.
The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) suspended their industrial action following a closed-door meeting with federal representatives in Abuja.
The unions had earlier threatened to down tools over unresolved issues with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), including the non-implementation of the national minimum wage and various operational concerns within the power sector.
Following intensive negotiations, representatives of the Minister of Power, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, alongside officials from the Ministry of Labour and the union leadership, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday night, as confirmed by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
A copy of the MoU, obtained on Friday, shows that the agreement was co-signed by officials from TCN, the National Independent System Operator (NISO), and both labour unions.
> The MoU stated: “After extensive discussions, the following agreements were reached…”
Among the key resolutions was a commitment by the unions to review the report of a standing committee between October 6 and 7, with a plan to begin implementation within the same month.
Additionally, TCN and NISO will jointly evaluate the financial impact of the report and develop a comprehensive implementation strategy to be submitted to the Minister of Power and the unions.
The agreement also mandates that both unions, along with TCN and NISO, reconvene to resolve other lingering issues in the sector.
In a significant move, the MoU tasked the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) with fast-tracking tariff reviews for TCN and NISO to support the implementation of the committee’s recommendations.
A crucial clause in the agreement guarantees protection for all workers involved in the strike action:
> “No employee shall be victimised for participating in the industrial action,” the MoU affirmed.
In response to the federal government’s commitments, the unions formally suspended the planned strike, citing good faith and a willingness to allow for the resolution’s implementation.
