Union Rejects N384bn PHCN Severance Package …As FG Begins Immediate Payment

The leadership of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), has rejected the 384 billion naira severance package for the retrenched workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) Plc as recently announced by the Federal Government.

In a statement issued by the union, it lamented that the amount of money released by the Federal Government was inadequate to cater for the benefits and gratuities of the retrenched PHCN staff.

The union said over 15,000 retrenched workers of the PHCN were completely left out of the amount approved by the Federal Government.

The union urged the Federal Government to properly implement the agreement reached with the labour leaders over the welfare of the retrenched workers of the PHCN.

The statement further said the best way for the Federal Government was to completely release the agreed amount of money to cover the entire retrenched workers based on the biometric data verification report of the Presidential Verification Committee on PHCN.

Meanwhile, the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) has accused the Federal Government of causing the crises facing the nation’s power sector.

The President of the union, Comrade Bede Opara stated this in a statement.

Comrade Opara blamed the problem on government which has elected to privatize the power sector when it has failed to implement the workers severance package, gratuity and other allowances.

He disclosed that the issue of regularising the status of casual workers in the sector has made a tremendous progress but with some grey areas which dwells on casuals not captured and those captured during the biometric data verification yet to be regularised.

Also, the Minister of Power, Prof Chinedu Nebo said the payment of severance package to the retrenched workers of the PHCN has commenced immediately.

He said the payment of emolument of those workers that have been laid off and those that would be laid off was to ensure that they don’t leave the PHCN without adequate compensation.

The minister said this was in line with the agreement signed by the Federal Government and the Labour Unions.

On privatisation of PHCN, he said the process of privatisation was moving towards completion, stressing that the ministry was waiting for payment by the bidders.

He said the government had stopped involving itself in the operations of the power sector to allow private investors to drive it while government would create the enabling environment.

He said this accounts for the reason why government approved the immediate payment of severance package to the retrenched workers of the PHCN.

Philip Okparaji