Adelabu urges workers in power sector to choose dialogue amid wage dispute

By Kunle Sanni –

Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, has appealed to electricity sector unions and workers of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to resolve issues surrounding welfare and wages through dialogue rather than industrial action.

According to a report by PM Express, the minister made the call during a meeting on Wednesday with leaders of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), and the management of TCN at his office in Abuja. The meeting followed renewed threats by workers to embark on a strike over demands for increased salaries and allowances.

Adelabu urged the unions to be realistic in their demands, stressing the sensitive role of the power sector in Nigeria’s economy and the current revenue challenges facing the country. He noted that while the Federal Government supports improved remuneration for workers, economic realities make it necessary for all parties to exercise restraint.

According to him, government revenue constraints mean that demands must be balanced against the sustainability of the sector. He warned that allocating the company’s entire earnings to personnel costs would cripple operations and ultimately harm workers themselves.

The minister also cautioned against repeated confrontations between labour and management, including the practice of locking management out of offices, and instead encouraged cooperation to ensure stability in the power sector and national development.