Workers under the Oyo State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) staged a protest on Tuesday, shutting down operations at the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) in response to the dismissal of over 3,000 employees.
Led by NLC Chairman Kayode Martin, demonstrators blocked access to the IBEDC office, grounding activities and disrupting traffic in parts of Ibadan. The protest focused on job losses, unpaid minimum wages, and alleged unfair treatment of workers by outsourcing agents affiliated with the company.
Martin criticised the outsourcing firms, accusing them of wage exploitation and unlawful salary deductions.
“Thousands of dedicated workers have been pushed into unemployment with no justification. This is unacceptable,” he stated.
The union outlined seven demands, including the reinstatement of affected employees, payment of outstanding entitlements, improved working conditions, and an end to what they described as anti-labour practices.
Appealing to Governor Seyi Makinde and other authorities for intervention, Martin warned that widespread job losses could escalate security concerns in the state.
The protest led to major traffic disruptions, while IBEDC had yet to issue a response at the time of reporting.
