The Nigeria Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has accused the management of Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) of neglecting workers’ welfare, delaying consequential salary adjustments following the implementation of the national minimum wage and maintaining disparities in the remuneration of employees performing similar duties.
The union warned that unresolved labour disputes, inadequate working tools and poor treatment of electricity workers could undermine the stability of Nigeria’s fragile electricity sector, insisting that employees must be treated with dignity and given the necessary support to perform their duties.
Assistant General Secretary, Field Services, of the NUEE, Comrade Mbang Ntukubes, made the allegations during an appearance on the Ask the Expert segment of Trade FM’s Breakfast Business Briefing.
His comments come amid disruptions to electricity distribution following the reported shutdown of BEDC facilities in four states by electricity workers protesting issues relating to their remuneration and welfare.
Ntukubes said the dispute between the union and BEDC management had persisted because of what he described as the company’s high-handedness and failure to address workers’ grievances despite repeated engagements.
“The union has complained for over a year that they should adjust the salaries of workers to reflect what the government has approved. And till now, the company is complacent, and they are not taking the workers seriously,” he said.
According to him, the implementation of consequential salary adjustments arising from the national minimum wage remains one of the major unresolved issues between the union and the distribution company.
He argued that workers could no longer be expected to continue operating under conditions that failed to reflect prevailing economic realities, particularly the rising cost of living and inflation.
“We have come here to speak with the management. Let us do consequential adjustment as required by law. They come with one thing, they come with that. That is one point,” Ntukubes said.
He described the disagreement over remuneration as a serious source of frustration for electricity workers, stressing that repeated appeals to management had not produced the expected outcome.
Union alleges salary disparities among BEDC workers
Beyond the demand for consequential salary adjustments, Ntukubes accused BEDC management of maintaining different salary structures for employees performing similar duties.
He said the union had repeatedly called for the harmonisation of salaries to ensure that workers with comparable qualifications and responsibilities received fair and consistent remuneration.
According to him, the existing arrangement allegedly allows employees to earn different salaries despite occupying similar positions, with personal connections to members of the company’s board influencing remuneration.
“What is existing presently is that if you are employed and you are connected to any of the board members, your salary scale is different from an ordinary Nigerian who comes from the street and has a job with you,” he alleged.
He added that employees with similar academic qualifications could receive different salaries even when assigned to the same role.
“Whether the man is coming with a B.Ed. or a B.Sc., both of you come with the same qualifications, even in the same work role, the salaries are different. We have different salary structures here,” he said.
Ntukubes said the union had called for harmonisation but accused management of repeatedly postponing discussions on the matter.
He maintained that a transparent and uniform remuneration system would promote fairness, improve workers’ morale and strengthen industrial relations within the company.
The union official also criticised what he described as the dismissive attitude of some management officials towards organised labour.
He alleged that some managers had boasted that the union lacked the capacity to take effective action against the company.
“You see management staff boasting that the union cannot even bark, not to talk of biting,” he said.
Ntukubes, however, insisted that the union was prepared to take action to demonstrate its resolve to secure better conditions for its members.
“The workers want to tell them that we can bite, we can bark, we can even sue over what we are preaching. That is where we are now,” he added.
NUEE demands bonuses, profit-sharing arrangements
Ntukubes also questioned BEDC’s approach to employee motivation, arguing that a privately operated company should reward workers for exceptional performance and recognise their contributions to its commercial success.
He said employees should benefit from clearly defined provisions on bonuses and profit-sharing contained in the company’s conditions of service.
According to him, workers who exceed their performance targets should be eligible for appropriate rewards rather than being treated as though their additional efforts carry no value.
He recalled a meeting at which BEDC’s human capital development manager, identified by him as Dr Obina, reportedly argued that increased revenue would not necessarily translate into higher remuneration for employees.
Ntukubes said he disagreed with the position, maintaining that private sector organisations should recognise merit, productivity and exceptional performance.
“In a private sector-driven organisation, you take into cognisance merit, performance, extra performance and extraordinary performance,” he said.
He argued that workers should not be denied incentives after making significant contributions to the company’s performance.
“You like to collect whatever, collect more than 100 per cent of your target. Nothing extra can be paid,” he said, describing the situation as inconsistent with the expectations of a privately operated organisation.
Ntukubes further alleged that provisions in the company’s conditions of service relating to bonuses and profit-sharing had not been adequately implemented.
“You are the ones who said you wanted to privatise, and this place is privatised. They are just running it as it is written in the conditions of service that we have signed here, that talks about bonuses, profit-sharing and others. They don’t go into that level,” he said.
The union official maintained that workers’ contributions should be recognised through fair remuneration, performance-based incentives and improved welfare packages.
Union defends withdrawal of services
Addressing concerns about the impact of the industrial action on electricity consumers, Ntukubes defended the workers’ decision to withdraw their services, arguing that employees had a right to protest when their grievances remained unresolved.
He acknowledged that electricity distribution was an essential service upon which households, businesses and other economic activities depended. However, he insisted that the importance of the sector did not remove workers’ rights to demand fair treatment.
“The worker has the right to say, ‘I won’t go to work because you have not paid me.’ Though I have worked, you have not paid me. I will not go. Or do you think the worker does not have that right?” he asked.
He maintained that workers should not be treated as though they were indebted to their employers simply because they were expected to carry out their responsibilities.
“The way you are treating me, I am not a slave. I have a right to say I will not come to work,” he said.
Ntukubes argued that the responsibility for resolving the dispute rested primarily with the company’s management and other relevant authorities, urging them to create the conditions necessary for an amicable settlement.
He said management should engage the union in meaningful negotiations instead of allowing the disagreement to persist and further disrupt electricity distribution.
Dispute referred to Federal Ministry of Labour
On the role of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in resolving the dispute, Ntukubes disclosed that the matter was before the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in Abuja.
He said a meeting had been scheduled to address the outstanding issues, but BEDC management allegedly failed to attend the meeting, despite labour representatives being present.
“The matter is before the Federal Ministry of Labour in Abuja. There was supposed to be a meeting yesterday in Abuja. Labour was present. BEDC management were not able to attend,” he said.
Ntukubes expressed the expectation that further engagements would help establish a clear timeline for resolving the dispute, particularly the demand for consequential salary adjustments.
He urged the company to commit to a definite resolution rather than continue postponing negotiations.
He also questioned management’s reported decision to engage consultants to harmonise employees’ salary structures, arguing that the process could be handled directly by management and labour representatives.
“When they say they have hired consultants to come and harmonise the salary structure, why are you bringing consultants to harmonise the salary structure? Is that not what labour and management can put up and do without extra cost?” he asked.
The union official said direct negotiations would help reduce additional expenses while allowing both parties to address the issues through established industrial relations mechanisms.
NUEE warns against neglecting experienced electricity workers
Speaking more broadly about the challenges confronting Nigeria’s electricity supply industry, Ntukubes described the sector as fragile and cautioned operators against neglecting the welfare and expertise of workers responsible for maintaining its operations.
He explained that electricity supply depends on three interconnected stages: generation, transmission and distribution. Each stage, he said, requires skilled and experienced personnel to ensure that electricity reaches consumers safely and reliably.
“There is one thing to generate electricity. There is another one to transmit it, and the other one to distribute it. And whatever you achieve in that assignment, you will meet workers, not robots,” he said.
He stressed that electricity workers were human beings undertaking demanding assignments and deserved respect, adequate remuneration and appropriate working conditions.
“They should deal with the workers as human beings, not robots. At least, we have not got to the stage where robots will manage this,” he said.
According to Ntukubes, some workers face operational difficulties because they lack essential tools and transportation needed to carry out their duties effectively.
He said inadequate logistical support could make it difficult for employees to respond promptly to faults, maintain electricity infrastructure and deliver reliable services to consumers.
“In the first meeting, the equipment required are not there. They don’t have work tools; they have no vehicles,” he said.
He added that the nature of electricity operations sometimes requires workers to remain at stations for extended periods to meet operational requirements, making it necessary for management to recognise the demands of their jobs.
Ntukubes questioned how the industry could achieve meaningful improvements if workers were expected to perform demanding duties without adequate equipment, transportation and remuneration.
“Will we move forward if we have that?” he asked.
He maintained that electricity companies needed to create an environment in which workers could perform their responsibilities effectively, warning that neglecting employees could weaken operational efficiency.
Union declines to attribute generation drop to labour dispute
During the interview, Ntukubes was asked about a reported sharp decline in national electricity generation from 3,840 megawatts at 7 a.m. to 476.7 megawatts by 1 p.m. on October 19.
However, he declined to identify a specific cause for the decline, describing the issue as separate from the labour dispute under discussion.
“That one is a different ballgame entirely. There could be so many factors to that one. I think that is above the purview of this interaction we are making. Let us limit our discussion to the problem,” he said.
His response left the cause of the reported generation decline unresolved during the interview.
Nevertheless, he reiterated that the broader electricity supply industry required careful management, particularly because of its dependence on skilled personnel and the interconnected nature of its operations.
He urged electricity sector operators to pay greater attention to employees who possess the technical knowledge and experience needed to keep the system running.
The union’s position is that improving workers’ welfare, providing adequate operational equipment and addressing outstanding remuneration issues are essential to strengthening the industry.
The industrial dispute with BEDC highlights the continuing challenge of balancing workers’ demands for fair treatment with consumers’ need for uninterrupted electricity supply.
While the union maintains that management must address its grievances, a lasting resolution will depend on meaningful negotiations, clear commitments on outstanding salary adjustments and the implementation of agreed welfare provisions.
The allegations against BEDC management are those of the NUEE official and have not been independently verified in this report. BEDC’s response to the specific allegations was not included in the interview transcript.
