PHCN Casual Workers Hit 15,000

Facts have emerged that the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) has over 15,000 casual workers in its workforce nationwide.

Rivers Sate Chairman, National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Comrade Temple I. Banigo who disclosed this said the development was not healthy in boosting the productivity of the company’s workers.

In an exclusive interview in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State NUEE’s boss said the Federal Government, should as a matter of urgency comply with the existing labour laws on employment and pay the outstanding entitlements to the affected workers.

Comrade Banigo noted that the 15,000 casual workers constitute about 80 per cent  of the PHCN work force nationwide, whom he agued do not benefit from the company’s gesture.

Before now, he said there were agreements reached between the federal government and the three labour unions of PHCN in Abuja on the issue of casualisation in PHCN.

According to him the meeting resolved that a biometric verification exercise be jointly carried out by the PHCN’s management, the unions and relevant federal government Agencies to determine the actual member of casual workers in the company.

A management staff of PHCN who pleaded anonymity told The Tide that December 31, 2009 was given as the last date for accepting all casual workers as PHCN staff.

Comrade Bango however said that the exercise for the confirmation of the casual workers is presently on going, pledging the support of the unions in PHCN to the successful conclusion of the exercise.

The Rivers State NUEE boss used the occasion to make case for the regularisation of the casual workers identified and verified to facilitate harmonious industrial peace.

He expressed the hope that at the end of the exercise, the issue of casualisation of PHCN workers would be made a thing of the past.

Philip Okparaji