Democratic Socialist Movement

For Struggle, Solidarity and Socialism in Nigeria

By - DSM

Electricity Workers Union Pickets DISCOS over Pension, Retrenchment and Attacks on Union Right


Electricity Workers Union Pickets DISCOS over Pension, Retrenchment and Attacks on Union Right

Electricity Privatisation must be reversed! For a Day of General Strike and Mass Protest

By Dimeji Macaulay
Protest March, photo DSM

Protest March, photo DSM

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), in conjunction with Joint Action Front (JAF), on Thursday May 8, 2014 picketed the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (Disco) Marina Lagos, one of the privatized electricity companies. This picketing was a continuation of the national action by NLC and NUEE which had been earlier held in some states. It was to protest against non-payment of entitlement of the retirees and sacked workers of PHCN, planned retrenchment of more workers and anti-labour practices including attackS on the right of workers to unionise.

Placard by a retiree, photo by DSM

Placard by a retiree, photo by DSM

There were about one hundred protesters including a sizable contingent from the PHCN retirees whose pensions and gratuities were not paid before the PHCN was transferred to the private companies. There are about 2,000 pensioners who are affected nationwide, according to Mr Joseph Solarin the coordinator of the pensioners who spoke at the picketing.

The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions which include “PAY US OUR MONEY, “PRIVATISATION IS EVIL WE REJECT IT”, WE NEED OUR UNION”, “NO TO INCREASE IN ELECTRICITY BILL” and “WE DEMAND DEMOCRATIC MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL OF OUR POWER SECTOR.”

Abiodun Aremu JAF Secretary addressing the proteters, photo by DSM

Abiodun Aremu JAF Secretary addressing the proteters, photo by DSM

The Secretary, Abiodun Aremu, of JAF gave the organization’s solidarity message in support of the demands of the NLC and electricity workers’ union. He however added the struggle must also include the demands against outrageous electricity tariff and casualisation of workforce in the sector. More importantly, there must be reversal of electricity privatization. He called on the working class people to support the struggle and demands of the electricity workers and retirees.

Mr Richard Kedee an officer of NUEE spoke on how the distribution companies have failed in their obligation to provide electricity for Nigerians and yet charge consumers for service not rendered. He added that the union would not tolerate the denial of the rights workers to unionise by the companies. He thus reiterated the demands that all new staffs should be allowed to join union without threat to their jobs.

Peluola Adewale, National Mobilization Officer of JAF and a member of Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), also spoke at the picketing. He began by highlighting how the electricity privatization has been a monumental failure. He recalled how even the Minister of Power had lamented the technical and financial incapacity of the private owners to turn around the sector and provide quality service to consumers. While commending the union for the initiative of picketing the distribution companies nationwide, he urged them to link up with the working people in communities where struggles have broken out against poor electricity service and high tariff. Since the privatization of the electricity supply has become much poorer than it used to be.

Pay pension to all pensioners, photo by DSM

Pay pension to all pensioners, photo by DSM

He called for reversal of electricity privatization and putting back the electricity companies under public ownership with democratic control of elected representatives of workers and consumers. He urged the NLC and TUC to start the mobilization for a day of general strike and mass protest against electricity privatization, high electricity tariff, non-payment of pensions and attacks on democratic rights of electricity workers. The general strike must also put on the front burner the demands of workers in other sectors like polytechnics and colleges of education who have been on strikes for many months as a result of failure of the government to meet their demands.

The action was rounded off with a protest march around the Eko Disco office. Unfortunately, there was no leaflet that could have been circulated to enlighten the public on the struggle and mobilize their mass support. Even the leadership of JAF was only informed a day to the protest which we learnt had been planned for at least two weeks before then.

Another major shortcoming of this action is the disposition of the NLC and NUEE that shows that they have accepted that the electricity privatization has come to stay. They do not even see or articulate the link between the demands of their current struggle and profit-driven private ownership of the electricity companies. It should be recalled that the NUEE was initially vehemently against the privatization of PHCN. But they later dropped their opposition and watered down their demands to allowing the privatization once the workers were adequately paid-off. This is not however accidental as the current labour leadership does not have ideological opposition to privatization as a policy. This explains why the NLC and TUC have representatives in the National Council on Privatization (NCP) which superintends the sales of public companies.

However, one positive feature of the picketing was the active participation of about 5 other industrial unions in solidarity with electricity workers and retirees. Such solidarity spirit and action must be sustained and replicated in all struggles by workers irrespective of the unions. It also shows the possibility of a general strike in solidarity with any industrial union fighting on specific issues and demands.

Members of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) participated actively in the protest and sold 5 copies of our paper Socialist Democracy.