Staff of Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company have embarked on a strike, leading to blackouts in Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi states.

The workers, under the aegis of the Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees, commenced an indefinite strike on Tuesday after staging a protest over what they termed unjust treatment by the management of the company.

The PUNCH gathered that the workers were aggrieved over six years’ unremitted pension, non-payment of the death benefit of deceased staff of the company, non-payment of exit package, the unjust sack of seven staff of the firm in Zaria, and an alleged plan to sack over 1,000 workers of the company, among others.

However, the management of Kaduna Disco condemned the industrial action in a statement issued by its Head of Corporate Communication, Abdulazeez Abdullahi, describing the action as “completely unjustified.”

Abdulazeez said, “For the union to choose this path at the very start of the holy month of Ramadan and inflict more discomfort on hapless Nigerians by embarking on an ill-advised strike and forcing staff from carrying out their legitimate duties says a lot about its motive.”

Abdulazeez disclosed that the union’s demand for payment of outstanding pension arrears “is part of the historic debts accumulated under two previous managements.

“One wonders why the union failed to prioritise the payments then until now. This is a clear indication that the union has other motives yet unknown to us.”