PHCN HANDOVER: WORKERS ABORT PLANNED STRIKE, EXTEND ULTIMATUM TO NOV 15

Electricity workers under the defunct PHCN has resolved with federal government in a closed door meeting to settle all labour issues by November 15.
Presenting the Agreement for signing after the meeting at 9:00pm yesterday, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Power, Dr Godknows Igali who is also the Chairman, Labour Settlement Committee said it has resolved all contending issues revealing that, “We agree that anything on payment for the cleared staff should be finished by November 15.”
He said, “A total of about 47,000 staff data were biometrically captured of which 40,698 have been cleared and cleaned.” He noted that the fund for the severance payment of both gratuities and RSA pensions have been moved to the pension fund custodians.
Igali who disclosed that payment for the workers’ pensions have begun said, “As at this afternoon, we confirmed that 12,000 staff have received payment into their pension fund,” adding that various agreement terms have been reached between government and National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) alongside the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC).
The National President, NUEE, Comrade Mansur Musa who made his remark shortly after signing the Agreement document said, “We hope government on its part will keep to this agreement that we have just signed because it is one thing for government to sign and it is another to keep to it. I urge my colleagues to be vigilante so that none of the agreement is short-changed.”
Speaking precisely on the proposed industrial action slated earlier for today he said, “We on our part do not intend to throw our nation into darkness. It can only happen as a last resort if this agreement is not implemented.”
In the same vein, SSAEAC President General, Engr. Bede J. Opara said, “There will be work tomorrow,” adding that, “We want to urge our members to continue on this cooperation to move the power sector forward.”
The agreement document stated that, all payments of cleared staff be made and revalidation of biometric data and payment for pending staff be completed by Friday 15 November; all normally retired workers since 2011 who have not received their benefits should be cleared by 30th, and that the 2,500 outstanding uncleared casuals should be revisited and treated on compassionate grounds.
Other terms of the agreement are, the earlier agreed 10% equity shareholding for workers accrued from the privatisation proceeds be implemented, there should be continued unionization in the new private electricity companies, and that payment of balance of the electricity union’s levy as agreed should be made before November 31.

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