Business activities at the headquarters of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, were disrupted Monday following a peaceful protest embarked upon by electricity workers under the aegis of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE).
The protesting workers accused the company of anti-labour practices and frustrating efforts of the workers to unionise.
They condemned the distribution company for issuing estimated bills to consumers instead of adopting the universally accepted method of metering.
The protesters called for an end to the estimated billing method and anti-labour practices by the company and called on the government to intervene.
The electricity workers picketed all offices of PHED in the four states of Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Bayelsa where it operates.
President of NUEE, Comrade Martin Uzoegwu, accused the company of failing to obey the recent rulings of the National Industrial Court (NIC).
Uzoegwu explained that the protest was as a result of PHED’s refusal to obey the ruling of the court.
He said: “PHED has been able to perpetrate anti-labour action, especially against its workers, and labour, as an organisation.”
The Tide reports that over seven aggrieved groups have protested against PHED barely a week ago. The groups are mainly consumers.

Chris Oluoh