Tony Osauzo, Benin
Members of the Edo State chapter of Trade Union Congress (TUC) got more than they bargained for when they were engaged in fisticuffs by staff of the Benin Region office of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), during an attempt by the TUC officials to picket the company.
The TUC officials had early in the morning gone to the Benin TCN office along Sapele Road and locked the gate, preventing workers from resuming for duty.
After initial appeals to open the gate, members of the National Union of Electricity Employee (NUEE), attempted to forcefully open the gate but they were resisted by the TUC members, resulting in the fisticuffs.
The NUEE members said they were not an affiliate of TUC and therefore, would not be prevented from resuming for work, even as they told the TUC to focus on the senior staff of the organisation who are their members.
The protest, however, took a different dimension when TUC members in TCN kicked against the picketing.