Bimbola Oyesola
Electricity workers, yesterday, issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to implement agreements reached last year on staff remuneration and improve power supply or they would shut down the sector.
General Secretary of National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Joe Ajaero, at a press conference, accused the government of failing to honour agreements reached with workers who had called off an industrial action seven weeks ago to allow for negotiations. The strike launched on December 10, 2019, had thrown the entire country into darkness before it was suspended on December 11 following intervention of the National Assembly and the Ministry of Power.
The union is protesting the non-payment of the entitlements of workers of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) laid off when the company was privatised, poor welfare, remuneration and conditions of service for workers of electricity companies, poor state of the power sector, casualisation of workers and seizure of the union schools.
Ajaero said none of the agreements reached with the government was implemented and that workers had no other option than to resume the suspended strike.
He warned that if within the 14 days the government field to implement decisions reached on December 11, the union would ground the power sector indefinitely.
Ajaero accused the Minister of State for Power, Goddy Agba, of harassing and intimidating workers during the union’s meeting with the government last Monday.
He also said the union wants Mr. Agba to explain to Nigerians his relationship with Sahara Energy.