By Mercy Onyenweli

BENIN CITY — The Management of BEDC Electricity Plc has appealed to the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) to suspend its ongoing industrial action and restore electricity supply across Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti states, as the dispute over salary adjustments and workers’ welfare continues.

The strike, which began at about 2 a.m. on Monday, October 19, 2026, followed the shutdown of electricity feeders, disrupting power supply to households, businesses, industries and public institutions across BEDC’s franchise area.

In a press briefing issued on Tuesday, October 20, the company acknowledged the union’s concerns over consequential adjustments arising from the national minimum wage, salary harmonisation and other employee welfare issues. However, Management urged the union to allow negotiations to continue, warning that the prolonged blackout was worsening the hardship faced by electricity consumers.

BEDC said it had introduced several measures to improve workers’ welfare since the current Management assumed responsibility in October 2022. According to the company, salary increases ranging from five to 70 per cent were implemented across different staff categories, while 957 employees were promoted and 1,314 salary adjustments carried out between 2023 and 2025.

The company also disclosed that more than 1,394 employees received long-service awards valued at over ₦125 million, while approximately ₦75 million was spent clearing outstanding exit benefits accumulated over about a decade. Other initiatives cited by Management included a formal Conditions of Service framework, expanded training opportunities, improved healthcare coverage, annual medical examinations and regular salary payments.

BEDC further stated that more than 1,000 employees had benefited from training programmes, while over 100 workers received performance-based recognition and cash incentives exceeding ₦68 million. It added that its group life insurance provision increased from ₦56.35 million to ₦103.15 million, alongside other occupational safety measures and bereavement support costing more than ₦40 million.

Despite these interventions, the consequential adjustment arising from the national minimum wage and salary harmonisation remain unresolved. Management said it had held several meetings with union representatives, identifying October 7 as the date of its most recent meeting before the briefing. A joint committee was established to examine the consequential adjustment, while both parties reportedly agreed to engage an independent consultant to review the salary structure. The committee’s work was still ongoing, while arrangements for the salary review were being made.

The company maintained that the outstanding issues required careful assessment to ensure that any agreement addressed workers’ concerns without undermining BEDC’s financial sustainability. It appealed to NUEE to suspend the strike and return to negotiations, expressing regret over the inconvenience caused to customers and urging them to remain patient as efforts continued to resolve the dispute.

The industrial action has raised concerns over the economic and social consequences of the blackout, particularly for small businesses, manufacturers, cold-room operators, hotels, food vendors and other electricity-dependent enterprises. Many may be forced to rely on generators, increasing operating costs, while households and essential services face additional pressure from the disruption. BEDC said it remained committed to constructive engagement with organised labour, adding that a lasting resolution would require dialogue, mutual understanding and an agreed path towards implementing outstanding salary and welfare demands.