Electricity Workers Threaten To Go On Strike

Workers in the power sector have threatened to stop
the supply of electricity across the country by
Tuesday, January 14, to protest against the federal
government's refusal to conclude the payment of
workers' entitlements following the privatisation of
the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria
(PHCN).
The industrial action follows the expiration of the 14-
day ultimatum issued by the National Union of
Electricity Employees (NUEE) to the federal
government in December last year to conclude all
labour-related issues in the sector.
Announcing the strike at a press conference in Lagos,
General Secretary of NUEE, Mr Joe Ajaero, lamented
that two months after the handover of the assets of
the defunct PHCN, the labour issues are yet to be
concluded.
He insisted that no staff of the defunct PHCN was
fully paid his or her entitlements, calling on the
government to tell the public where the money that
had been released for the payment of the benefits
had disappeared.
According to him, all members including the
disengaged and retired workers of the defunct PHCN
had been directed to occupy power installations and
offices across the country thereby disrupting power
supply.
Briefing journalists alongside other union officials,
Ajaero warned that if the union's grievances were not
addressed after Tuesday's protest, the union would
declare a full-blown industrial action.
"Our Strike is in phases. Due to the public holiday on
Monday next week, we have decided to start a
protest by asking all our members including those
that who were disengaged to go back to their
stations. Families of dead colleagues must report
back to their stations. This is prelude to further
actions by the union.
"We will not keep quiet for the fact that money was
realised from the privatisation process and we do not
know where the money meant for the payment of
workers' entitlements is being kept. Doing that
means we have failed in our responsibility to defend
the rights of our members.
"There are members who have not been paid
anything since the handing over of the assets of
PHCN to private investors. We make bold to say that
nobody has been paid fully even those that have
been disengaged have not been paid," he explained.
He noted that over 25,000 workers had not received
their pension components while over 5,000 workers
who retired statutorily were yet to be paid their
gratuities.
"The pension deductions of about 48,000 workers
from July 2012 to date have not been effected. The
entitlements of over 48,000 staff covering July 2012
have not been paid. Over 50 percent of the workers
have been wrongly and illegally disengaged. About
3,000 verified casual staff have been verbally sent
out of the industry without remuneration," he said.
Speaking further, Ajaero said 10 percent equity
shareholding for workers as collectively agreed had
been jettisoned while salaries and wages of
employees had been unilaterally reduced.
"All efforts made before now to address the various
issues by the relevant ministries and agencies of
government have met brick wall. We have waited
patiently up to this moment, appealing to these
ministries and agencies to do the needful but to no
avail," he lamented.