Union Assures Members Over Entitlements

The Senior Staff Association
of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) has assured members of the Union
of the Union’s unflinching support in their quest to get their entitlements.

The National
President of the Union, Comrade Bebe Opara stated this while speaking to
newsmen recently.

Comrade Opara
said the Union Leaders would not compromised their stand over the benefits of
the Union members working in Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) PLC.

He said “no
Union Leader would take bribe or sell his conscience to allow over 50,000
workers to lose their benefits and go home, stressing that it is not possible
for workers in the power sector to suffer and destroy what they have worked for
years.

The Union
Leader said the Union demand from government to urgently pay workers of power
Holding Company of Nigeria Plc their legitimate benefits stressing that the
demand became imperative following the decision of the Federal government to
sell off PHCN facilities at grossly undervalued rates.

Comrade Opara
said that if the Federal government fails to pay the workers of PHCN their
entitlements benefits, nobody will be allowed by the two union in the Power
sector National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and SSAEAC to take over these
facilities stressing that any attempts to forcefully take over PHCN facilities
will be adequately resisted by the Unions members.

The Union
President said Electricity tariff was increased in anticipation of selling PHCN
facilities by the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) to Private Investors for
the investors to smile to the Banks as soon as they take over these facilities,
stressing that Nigerians should expect more increase in Electricity tariffs in
future as the price move from public monopoly to Private capitalist dictation.

Comrade Opara
appreciated the efforts of the organised Labour Leadership in the country in
wading into the issues of the PHCN workers.

He said the
Union is fighting against casualization of workers not only in the power sector
but other sector, stressing that Labour law is against casual labour as there
is a limited period the casual workers can be casualised.

Comrade Opara
said through the efforts of the Union’s Leadership over 11,000 casual workers
in PHCN have been regularized, stressing that when their salary was not paid on
time we protested but now they have implemented by paying them.