The action was carried out by workers under the umbrella of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, over disputes bordering on emoluments and welfare packages.
It was gathered that at the company's headquarters in Benin City, officials of NUEE blocked the entrance to the premises, preventing staff from gaining access into the building. They also shut down key operational facilities, a move that disrupted electricity supply to the four states from the early hours of Monday.
The development forced some workers to leave their offices early, while management of the company was said to be in a closed-door meeting with the leadership of NUEE to resolve the impasse as of the time of filing this report.
A senior staff member of the company who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity expressed shock over the action of the electricity workers, noting that the management had recently reviewed their salaries.
"We are surprised at their action. Some of them even harassed some of our staff trying to record their actions. The current management recently reviewed their emoluments. I am surprised that they shut down facilities of the company," the staff member said.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Edo State Chairman of NUEE, Williams Uwumarogie, for his reaction proved abortive as several calls put to his phone were not answered.
Reacting to the situation, the Acting Edo State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Bernard Egwakide, disclosed that the congress had earlier intervened in the matter.
According to him, the leadership of NUEE is currently meeting with the management of BEDC, adding that the outcome of the meeting will determine whether the NLC will wade in again.
"But right now, the leadership of NUEE is in a meeting with the management of the company. Let us see how far they can resolve it; that will determine if we will intervene," Egwakide stated.
