From Victor Osula, Abuja
The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has suspended its nationwide indefinite strike declared on Wednesday, over unresolved welfare and operational disputes with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
This follows the intervention of the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who convened a meeting between the Union and the Management of TCN, Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) and the Federal Ministry of Labour on Thursday in Abuja.
Members of NUEE, working with the TCN, had declared an industrial action over non-implementation of the National Minimum Wage, Casualisation of Workers, Non-provision of working tools and materials, Non-payment of staff salaries since April 2025, Lack of Operational Vehicles, Non-provision of PPEs since 2021, Issues arising from the unbundling of TCN, and Non-payment of retirement benefits.
The workers, however, suspended the strike following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at the end of the peace meeting.
A copy of the MO was co-signed by the representatives of the Ministers of Power and Labour, respectively. Other signatories are: the representatives of the Managing Directors of TCN, and the National Independent System Operator (NISO), for the Federal Government. The General Secretary of SSAEAC and the acting General Secretary of NUEE signed for the labour unions.
Among the agreements was the decision for the unions to consider the report of a standing committee between October 6 and 7, 2025, with a view to commencing its implementation in the same month. In addition, TCN and NISO are to jointly evaluate the financial implications of the report and prepare an implementation plan for presentation to the minister and the unions.
It was resolved that both unions would reconvene with TCN and NISO management to address other outstanding issues. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) was directed to expedite the review of tariffs for TCN and NISO, enabling the implementation of the committee’s recommendations.
According to the MoU, the government assured that no employee would be victimised for participating in the industrial action.
To this end, the unions announced the suspension of the strike to give room for the resolutions to be implemented.
The MoU reads: “Following the ultimatum issued by the in-house unions (NUEE & SSAEAC) to TCN Management on various labour issues which elapsed on Monday 23 September 2025, the Honourable Minister of Power, represented by the Director Distribution Services and Director Planning, Research and Statistics of the Federal Ministry of Power took steps to apprehend the picketing exercise embarked on by the Unions.
“After extensive discussions, the following agreements were reached: That the unions honour the Minister’s request to look at the committee’s report by 6/7 October 2025 for consideration of the implementation from the month of October 2025;
“The two organisations (TCN & NISO) shall meet to evaluate the financial implications of the report and prepare an implementation plan to be discussed with the honourable minister and the unions;
“The two in-house unions will reconvene in another meeting with the management of TCN and NISO to resolve other issues accordingly:
“NERC to expedite actions on the review of the tariffs of TCN and NISO to enable implementation of the report;
“No employee will be victimised on account of participation in the industrial action.
“Based on the above, the Union agreed to suspend their action to allow these resolutions to be activated.”
