Organised Labour has shut down the national grid on the first day of its indefinite strike to protest the government’s failure to meet its minimum wage demand.
The action has resulted in a nationwide blackout.
The Labour unions had demanded a minimum wage of N494,000, but the Federal Government offered only N60,000.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated that the N494,000 minimum wage being demanded, which amounts to N9.5 trillion, would destabilize the economy and jeopardize the welfare of over 200 million Nigerians.
Despite last-minute interventions by the leadership of the National Assembly, aimed at preventing the strike, the unions proceeded to mobilize their affiliates nationwide.
In a statement issued early Monday, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) alerted Nigerians about the grid shutdown: “The Transmission Company of Nigeria hereby informs the general public that the Labour Union has shut down the national grid, resulting in blackout nationwide.
The national grid shut down occurred at about 2:19 am this morning, 3rd June 2024.”
The TCN detailed the events leading to the shutdown, stating, “At about 1:15 am this morning, the Benin Transmission Operator under the Independent System Operations unit of TCN reported that all operators were driven away from the control room and that staff that resisted were beaten while some were wounded in the course of forcing them out of the control room and without any form of control or supervision, the Benin Area Control Center was brought to zero.”
The statement also highlighted the extent of the shutdown: “Other transmission substations that were shut down by the Labour Union include the Ganmo, Benin, Ayede, Olorunsogo, Akangba, and Osogbo Transmission Substations.
Some transmission lines were equally opened due to the ongoing activities of the labour union.”
On the power generation side, the TCN reported disruptions: “Power generating units from different generating stations were forced to shut down some units of their generating plants.
The Jebba Generating Station was forced to shut down one of its generating units while three others in the same substation subsequently shut down on very high frequency.
The sudden forced load cuts led to high frequency and system instability, which eventually shut down the national grid at 2:19 am.”
The nationwide blackout has heightened tensions as the strike continues, with no immediate resolution in sight.
The government’s stance on the economic implications of the wage demand versus the Labour unions’ push for a higher minimum wage remains a contentious issue.
