PHCN workers give FG two weeks grace on entitlements

Workers had threatened to down tools last Friday following government’s handover of power facilities to private companies that were successful in the ongoing privatisation exercise.In an emergency meeting with government Thursday night, the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) and the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) pointed out that delay in […]

Workers had threatened to down tools last Friday following government’s handover of power facilities to private companies that were successful in the ongoing privatisation exercise.
In an emergency meeting with government Thursday night, the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) and the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) pointed out that delay in the payment process created “concern and anxiety” amongst its members.
However, in a signed agreement, both sides agreed that severance benefits for 40, 698 workers already verified and cleared -should be completed by Friday, 15 November, 2013 but concerned workers will only exit after full payments.
The agreement added: “A total number of 4, 805 workers whose biometric data had been captured would undergo data re-verification, the revalidation of all normally retired workers of PHCN should commence and be completed by November 30, 2013 for the purpose of payment of gratuity, pension and death benefits.”
They also agreed for all cases of underpayment to be addressed before November 30, 2013, while all outstanding claims such as bulk rent, leave grant, outstanding long service awards and cash in lieu of hotel accommodation claims be further reviewed and settled.
According to the agreement, the case of 2500 outstanding casual workers not cleared would be revisited and treated on compassionate grounds, with an agreement also for unhindered unionisation in the new companies as guaranteed by law.     
The agreement was signed on the government side by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power Dr Godknows Igali, Mrs C. C. Dike for the Ministry of Labour and Mubarak El-Nafaty the acting head of PHCN.
Labour side had SSAEAC President Engineer Bede Opara, SSAEAC General Secretary Abiodun Ogunsega and NUEE President Engineer Mansur Musa with Olusegun Babatunde signing for NUEE’s General Secretary.