Organised labour in Taraba State on Monday picketed the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) office in Jalingo, the state capital, to protest against the ongoing blackout and recent hike in electricity bills.

Despite heavy rainfall in Jalingo, labour leaders including the state chairman of the Trade Unions Congress (TUC), Sule Albasu, defied the weather to carry out the directive from national leaders.

The labour union leaders picketed the YEDC office and similar actions were also carried out across all local government councils in the state.

One labour leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the presence of YEDC in Taraba is not felt by the people of the state and called on the federal government to transfer the electricity distribution responsibilities of Taraba and the entire North East to different distribution companies.

Some YEDC casual staff also expressed hope that the labour union action would exert pressure to regularise their employment status.