The Nigeria Labour Congress, Oyo State chapter, has vowed to take action against the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company over the sacking of 221 workers.
The NLC had earlier demanded the reabsorption of the workers, alleging that more than 3,000 employees of the IBEDC were unjustly terminated.
However, IBEDC refuted the claim, stating that only 221 workers were sacked.
The distribution company clarified that the affected workers were employed by an outsourcing firm, Premier International Procurements and Logistics Limited, and not IBEDC.
In a disclaimer notice on Friday, IBEDC emphasised that it was not responsible for the workers’ dismissal, stating, “They were not employees of IBEDC, and as such, IBEDC is not responsible for their termination or any potential reinstatement.”
IBEDC also rejected claims of any wrongdoing, stating, “IBEDC strongly rejects any misleading narratives that unfairly attempt to associate IBEDC with this issue. These reports misrepresent the facts and could mislead the public and stakeholders.”
The company also condemned the repeated calls by the NLC for picketing, arguing that such actions disrupt service delivery and inconvenience customers.
“We also strongly condemn the repeated calls for picketing, which cause significant disruptions and negatively impact our ability to provide critical power services,” the company stated.
But, NLC insisted that the workers must be reinstated, as they were laid off without any explanation.
However, the Oyo NLC Chairman, Kayode Martins, while speaking with Saturday PUNCH, said it was not right for the IBEDC to lay off any worker.
“Even if it is just one person that was sacked, is it right? You cannot treat human beings like animals and expect everyone to stay quiet,” he said.
Martins expressed concern for the affected workers, pointing out that some of them were vulnerable individuals, such as widows who had been employed for several years.
“There is a widow among those people. Should we wait until it is 3,000 people before we act? Not everyone will stay silent, and not everyone can be bought over.”
He stated further, “If they are not ready to reabsorb those they have laid off, no problem. When we get to the bridge, we will cross it. We will surely react, and they will see us.”
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