Electricity Tariff Hike: Organised Labour Shuts Down YEDC Offices in Taraba

 

The Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State has been shutdown by organised labour on Monday.

 

The incident happened despite heavy rainfall enveloping Jalingo metropolis in the early hours of the day.

 

The labour leaders proceeded to picket the YEDC office, citing the ongoing blackout and recent hike in electricity bills.

 

They believed this action was necessary to address the difficult situation faced by the state and the North East Zone.

 

Speaking with DAILY POST, the state chairman of the Trade Unions Congress (TUC), Sule Albasu, stated that they decided to defy the early morning rainfall to carry out the directive from national leaders.

 

In accordance with these instructions, the organised labour leadership in Taraba State picketed the YEDC office premises in Jalingo, the capital.

 

Similar directives were executed across all local government councils in the state by labor leaders.

 

Another labour leader who welcomed the development remarked that the presence of the company in Taraba is not felt by the people of the state.

 

The labour leader, who craved anonymity, called on the federal government to transfer the electricity distribution responsibilities of Taraba and if feasible, the entire North East, to different distribution companies.

 

Some YEDC staff, most of whom are casual workers, confided in our reporter, expressing hope that organized labor would exert pressure to regularise their employment status.