Thursday 19 September 2013

Labour alleges plot by FG to short-change PHCN workers

ORGANISED Labour in the power
industry yesterday alleged that it had
uncovered plots by the Federal Government to
handover assets of Power Holding Company of
Nigeria, PHCN, to private investors without
paying workers’ benefits. Consequently, it threatened to shut down the
industry should the government go ahead to do
so. Labour, under the aegis of National Union of
Electricity Employees, NUEE, urged Nigerians to
hold the government responsible for the
looming turmoil in the sector and advised the
investors not to fall into the trap set up by the
Bureau for Public Enterprises, BPE and government. According to NUEE, government has not been
able to conclusively clear the outstanding
huddles in relation to outstanding labour issues
with the workers. In a statement signed by General Secretary, Joe
Ajaero, the union warned that should the
investors go ahead to take over on paper
without allowing the BPE and government to
conclusively sort out the outstanding labour
issues with the workers, it would be assumed that they (investors) had equally accepted to
pay outstanding labour liabilities. The statement reads in part: “It has come to our
notice that the Federal Government through
the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, has
resolved to throw the Power Sector into
turmoil by secretly handing over the Sector on
paper. “We are also aware that all the Chief Executive
Officers, CEOs, of the supposed unbundled
companies of PHCN have been called to Abuja
and directed to bring their Letter- Headed
Papers with a view to signing off on paper in
favour of the Investors. “However, we wish to advise the Investors not
to fall into the trap set up by the BPE and
Government who were not able to
conclusively clear the outstanding huddles in
relation to outstanding labour issues with the
workers. “Should the Investors go ahead to take over on
paper

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