Labour Unions across the world are primarily aimed at promoting workers welfare and sometimes act as check to government as well as employers of labour.
These aims amongst several others are expected to be pursued at all times no matter the limitation(s). This perhaps explains the excitement that greeted moves by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC to picket electricity generation and distribution firms (GENCOS and DISCOS) over the 45% increase in electricity tariff, effective February 1, 2016.
In as much as it is within the purview of organized labour to fight for the welfare of workers in Nigeria through the open resistance against the tariff increase, it must however be stated that the silence of NLC and TUC over the N750 monthly fixed charges per electricity consumer before the present federal administration abolished it leaves much to be desired.
The question that readily comes to mind is why did NLC and TUC kept mute over the years when the same Nigerian workers paid monthly frivolous electricity bills in the name of N750 fixed charge and estimated bill over the years, particularly after they were controversially privatized by the last federal administration?
The organized labour should have fought against the monthly electricity fixed charges, considering the sufferings and extra cost consumers had to go through to power their generators with readily expensive or unstable fuel supply.
NLC and TUC should also in the course of ‘fighting’ for the welfare of Nigerian workers applaud the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for stopping the vexatious fixed charge and reach a compromise with the federal government and the power firms on the right pricing of electricity distribution so as to protect the consumers, keep the GENCOS and DISCOS in business and principally encourage genuine investors into the Nation’s Power Sector.
Least I forget, NLC and TUC should be informed, if probably they do not know, that majority of local government workers in Nigeria are being owed over five months salaries and need the organized labour to help fight their fight.
Editor-In-Chief
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