Victor Ahiuma-Young
29 August 2012, Sweetcrude, LAGOS – NATIONAL Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, Tuesday protested alleged refusal of the Power Ministry to pay the salaries of workers of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, who were regularised as established workers of PHCN since February 2012.
It will be recalled that the Ministry of Power and management of PHCN had, during the first round of negotiations with the unions in 2011, agreed that 11,000 casuals in PHCN be regularised and integrated into employment. The exercise was concluded in February 2012.
NUEE alleged that the management of PHCN refused to pay the workers because of orders by Professor Bart Nnaji, who was until Tuesday, the Minister of power.
NUEE in a statement by its General Secretary, Joe Ajaero, insisted that proper investigation be conducted on PHCN before any form of privatization was carried out.
Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of PHCN Ikeja Distribution Company, Mr. Chris Akamnonu, had confirmed that the entitlements of the regularised staff had not been paid, explaining that the biometric exercise that would fully capture the identity of the affected staff was yet to be completed.
