Nigerian government, electricity workers reach truce; set deadline on payment of severance benefits

 

The union had threatened to go on a strike to press home their demands.

The National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, has reached a truce with the Federal Government on payment of severance benefits to sacked electricity workers. A deadline of January 31 was reached by both parties for the completion of the payment of severance packages to the ex-staff of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN.

The union had issued a 14-day ultimatum, after which, they threatened to embark on a strike to protest.

The resolution issued on Tuesday was signed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Clement Illoh; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Godknows Igali; Representative of Bureau of Public Enterprises, Omojola Martina; and the NUEE President, Mansur Musa.

The resolution was also signed by the General Secretary NUEE, Olusegun Babatunde; President General, Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, Bede Opara; and General Secretary, SSAEAC, Abiodun Ogunsegha.

 

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Union Says 10,000 PHCN Workers Yet To Get Severance Package

 

The Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) says about 10,000 workers of the defunct PHCN were yet to receive their severance package.

Mr Bede Opara, President General of the association, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos

 

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Electricity workers will resist PHCN handover if… – SSAEAC

 

Says Kaduna, Abuja, Jebba workers yet unpaid

By Sylvester Enoghase

 

Members of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) have warned that they would resist the planned handover assets of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) on November 1, 2013, unless the Federal Government and the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) settle all outstanding labour issues in line with the agreement reached with the workers.

SSAEAC in a statement by its President General, Comrade Bede Opara and Secretary General, Comrade Abiodun Ogunsegha, said government can still save the situation ahead of the handover date. Unless this is done, the union said no one should blame workers for any action taken to resist the handover of the PHCN facilities to new investors

The Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), had on Sunday, announced the release of a total of N342.8 billion to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) for the payment of the severance package of PHCN workers. Among others, the bureau said 40,093 workers of PHCN have so far been cleared and forwarded to the OAGF for payment in the on-going exercise for the payment of severance benefits to the workers.

Director General of BPE, Benjamin Ezra Dikki said the schedules of payments were transferred to the AOGF by the BPE in six batches, cutting across workers at the PHCN headquarters, the generation companies (GENCOs), distribution companies (DISCOs), and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

 

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'Nigeria Needs 160,000 mw to Overcome Power Challenges'

 

In order for Nigeria to have stable power supply, the National President of Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSEAC), Comrade Bede Opara has said that the country needs to generate at least 160,000 megawatts of electricity to come out of its challenges.

He said this during an interview with the new executive officers of Labour Writers' Association in Lagos.

According to him, “development is necessary because of the nation's growing population and its quest to be an industrial giant in the world and this is achievable if the Federal government gives premium attention to the power sector and eliminate corruption from the system.

Opara said the current generation capacity of Nigeria betrays its   yearning to turn the power sector around but expressed optimism that the nation's power generation could grow to 7000 megawatts  if  contractors handling all independent power projects complete them before year end.

He stressed  that privatization is not the answer to the challenges besetting the nation's power sector,as some of the investors there has little or no knowledge of how to take it to the next level.

 

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Expose those against power reform, workers tell FG

The Federal Government should be bold enough to tell Nigerians those who are opposing the ongoing power sector reform that commenced in August 2010, employees of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria have said.

The workers, who spoke under the aegis of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies and the National Union of Electricity Employees, refuted claims by the government that they were being used by individuals and companies that were against the privatisation of the power sector.

The Federal Government had alleged that most actions undertaken by labour unions against the privatisation of the PHCN successor companies were being promoted by forces that were not interested in the reform process.

The General Secretary, SSAEAC, Mr. Abiodun Ogunsegha, told our correspondent on Wednesday that if the government was suspecting that some individuals were behind labour’s actions with respect to privatisation, it should provide proofs.

 

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Union wants FG to sell Afam Plant, others to workers

The Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies has urged the Federal Government to sell Afam Plant, Orji River Plant, Calabar Plant and Ijora Power Station to the workers of the Power Holding Company.

The union said the proposal represents the 10 percent billed to be set aside in PHCN formations as part of its privatization programme.

This was part of the resolutions reached at the National Executive Meeting of the union which held in Lagos at the weekend.

Its President and General-Secretary, Comrade Bede Opara and Abiodun Ogunsegha, in a communique said the meeting directed government and its agencies involved in the privatization process to immediately commence the training of professionals in the sector and leaders of the association in readiness for post privatization life.

 

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PHCN Severance Package Should Be On 2012 Salary Structure - SSAEAC

 

Mr Bede Opara, President General, Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), on Tuesday said that PHCN workers’ severance package should be based on their 2012 salary scale.

Opara said that it would be wrong to base the severance package of the workers on the 2010 salary structure.

He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, that the Federal Government should honour a recommendation that the workers’ payoff should be on current salary structure.

NAN recalls that the Federal Government set up an Implementation Committee on March 19 to recommend appropriate terminal benefits of the workers.

 

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FG, labour in power play over PHCN sale

 

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT, Adeola Yusuf sheds light on the on-going sale of various assets of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), and reports that the power tussle between the Federal Government and the electricity workers’ unions has become a major setback to the power sector’s reforms.Members of Nigeria’s House of Representatives were last Wednesday forced to adjourn plenary session, due to power outage at the lower arm of the National Assembly.

The power cut, which was intermittent, affected the public address system in the House. Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, who presided over proceedings, had to postpone sitting till following day.

As this was going on, the race to buy over the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) hot up as the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) confirmed the receipt of $559 million from 14 prospective buyers of 15 successor companies. This amount represented 25 percent of the offer value of the 15 PHCN companies, with some making payments just before the Thursday, March 21 deadline.

While the buyers were racing forward to become core investors in the PHCN successor companies, the tussle between the Federal Government and workers, is stalling efforts to reform the sector

 

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PHCN Privatisation: FG, Labour Move to Resolve Disputes

 

Vice President Namadi Sambo

Chineme Okafor

The Federal Government and members of labour unions of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) have agreed to respectfully resolve all lingering labour-related disputes in the ongoing privatisation of state-owned power firm, PHCN.

Both parties have in Abuja elected to employ honest and swift processes in the settlement of severance packages due to workers of PHCN, thus, underscoring their desire to pursue sustainable “win-win” approaches that will fast-track proceedings in the PHCN privatisation.

Investors in the electricity industry, particularly banks and other lending institutions had variously warned that unresolved labour issues in the power sector reform exercise might jeopardise efforts of preferred bidders to attract favourable financial support in the form of loans for the purchase of PHCN assets.

But the government in recognition of the need to accelerate its reform of the power sector has disclosed its eagerness to offset legally existent severance benefits of workers of PHCN. It also assured that it has enough funds to pay off certified PHCN workers through renewed efforts with PHCN labour unions.

 

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Nigeria electricity workers reject N45bn severance package, boycott meeting with FG

 

The unions say the Nigerian government is deviating from an earlier agreement.

Electricity workers in Nigeria have asked the Federal Government to explain the reasons it decided to pay N45 billion as severance package against the N384 billion it earlier promised.

A workers union leader, Bede Opara, President General of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, made the demand in an interview in Lagos on Wednesday.

Mr. Opara said the workers recently received a letter to that effect from the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE. He noted that the salary scale used in computing their gratuity was not the salary scale agreed with the Technical and Negotiation Team under the leadership of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The Federal Government, as part of reforms of the electricity sector, decided to lay off workers after all parties agreed to severance payments.

 

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Labour issues would hinder new investors’ takeover of PHCN facilities

 

Many stakeholders have said that the protracted negotiations and counter negotiations between the Federal Government and workers in the power sector is one of the reasons the power sector reforms is still dragging. The President-General of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), Mr. Bede Opara, in this interview with UDO ONYEKA and MESHACK IDEHEN insists that the new investors would not be allowed to take over any PHCN facility until all outstanding labour issues are addressed. Excerpts.

Do you entertain any fear that the new investors coming into PHCN will not attach importance to staff welfare, right and privileges?

Electricity workers will always continue to prevail on both the government and the new investors to appreciate that labour; which in this particular instance means both workers within and outside the power sector is the most important resource in any industry or workplace.

 

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Pay PHCN workers N600b entitlements for peace to reign, Esele tell FG

 

Ahead of plans by workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) to proceed on strike soon, President-General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Peter Esele, at the weekend, urged Abuja to set aside over N600 billion to pay severance benefits of the workers, and not N384 billion.

Esele urged government to make the funds available, for the workers for peace to reign in the sector, necessary for a successful takeover of the various power assets recently privatised across the country by the new owners.

In his opening remarks at the second Triennial National Delegates’ Conference of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) in Calabar, Cross River state recently, the TUC boss urged government to “transparently start the payment of workers in PHCN, without a Kobo less from the workers’ entitlements, in accordance with the agreement reached in December 2012, else the trade unions in the country will have no choice that to resist Government delay tactics.”

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Don’t tamper with our 10 per cent equity in PHCN companies – Labour

 

Eluonye Koyegwaehi

09 March 2013, Sweetcrude, Lagos - NATIONAL Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), has told the Federal Government that 10 percent shares of each of 18 successor companies of the Power Holding Company (PHCN), must be reserved for the PHCN workers, as contained in the National Council on Privatization Act.

The union at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja, said anything short of the 10 shares of each of the companies, would not be accepted and that it must not be 10 percent shares of the government shares.

Addressing representative of the Minister of Power and other management of PHCN at the NEC meeting, General Secretary of NUEE, Comrade Joseph Ajaero, warned any of the companies sold 100 per cent without the 10 per cent shares for the workers according to law, the buyer would be doing so at his or her own risk.

 

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Electricity union queries N384b PHCN severance package

 

•FG toying with the life’s of workers –Musa

President of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Comrade Mansur Musa on at the weekend accused the Federal Government of toying with lives of workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN).

His comment is coming against the backdrop of the recent pronouncement by Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo that the workers of PHCN’s successor companies will begin to get their cumulative severance cheques for N384 billion on Thursday February 21, 2013.

He described the figure as fictitious, wondering how government came about the figure it is bandying, when the committee set up for the purpose is yet to complete its assignment.

In his opening remark at the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union, Musa explained that the union’s leadership was invited by the Federal Government to work with the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) and its consultant, Alexander Forbes to compute the total benefits of PHCN workers, using the necessary variables.

“The Committee set up by the Government was also to determine the individual benefits meant for workers in line with agreement the Unions in the Power Sector signed with Government on 11th December, 2012.

“And while the Committee is yet to complete the assignment, there came the pronouncement by the Minister of Power Prof. Nebo, over workers’ entitlements… a false alarm raised to deceive Nigerians.

“We have given the Federal Government reasonable time to pay our entitlements and the time is over, because the government is toying with the lives of the workers in PHCN.

 

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PHCN workers still unhappy over terminal benefits

 

By Victor AHIUMA-YOUNG

SENIOR Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, is not finding Federal Government’s announcement that N384 billion will be used to settle the terminal benefits of workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, ahead of the privatization of PHCN’s assets, funny.

The association has not only rejected it like its National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE counterpart, but went further to petition the Minister of Power, reminding the Government that labour, only gave conditional support to the planned privatization of the sector.

SSAEAC in the petition through its President-General and General Secretary, Engineer Bede Opara and Biodun Ogunsegha, a lawyer, warned government that if it went ahead with the process of privatization without carrying labour along, it would be definitely counter- productive.

 

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TCN takeover: Crisis looms as SSAEAC warns against mass sack

 

 

 

 

By Sylvester Enoghase Senior Correspondent

Crisis looms in the power sector as the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) has warned the Federal Government of imminent crisis over attempt to prematurely terminate the jobs of senior managers in Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in favor of foreign nationals as a result of the $23 million contract deal with Manitoba Hydro International when labour issues relating to their jobs and other staff are yet to be settled.

Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Power (PTFP), Beks Dagogo Jack, on Friday attributed management issues as the reason for delay in the consummation of the $23 million contract of the TCN to be managed by Manitoba Hydro International.

SSAEAC in a statement on Sunday signed by its National President Comrade Bede Opara and General Secretary, Comrade Abiodun Ogunsegha called on the Federal Government to urgently revisit the obnoxious terms in the management contract with Manitoba International, to make it friendly and Nigerian people driven, or the ongoing intrigues be visited with mass action.

He said, “We call on government to urgently revisit the obnoxious terms in the management contract with Manitoba Hydro International, to make it friendly and Nigerian people-driven, or be visited with mass action.

 

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Labour: Why We Entertain Fear over PHCN Privatisation

 

PHCN office

Linda Eroke

Organised labour in the nation’s power sector has expressed fear that the Federal Government may back out of the agreement reached with the unions towards the end of the privatisation programme in the sector.

National President, Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, Mr. Bede Opara, who expressed the workers’ fear said the move by government to hand over facilities of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) with concluding the labour issues is quite disturbing.

Opara, however, warned that any attempt by government to shortchange workers will be highly resisted by the unions, stressing that no investor will be allowed to take over PHCN facilities without the payment of workers entitlement.

“We have been negotiating with government over the years and we know that government officials are experts in violating agreements. We entertain such fears and that is why we say we will not let go until every worker has been paid his due. Promising us that the new investors would retain every worker is impracticable. It is not possible. If a man buys a company, you do not tell him who to employ and who not to employ. But we believe that the best hands will still remain in the system.

 

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Investors will not take over PHCN until all labour issues are addressed – Opara

 

In this interview, the President-General of Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), Comrade Bede Opara bares his mind on the power sector reforms and reiterates that new investors would not be allowed to take over any PHCN facility until all outstanding labour issues are addressed.

Do you entertain any fear that the new investors may not pay serious attention to staff welfare but only on the profit motive of their business?

We will always prevail on them to appreciate that labour is the most important resource in any industry or workplace. The interests of Nigerian workers remain paramount because without the workers, where will the company go? No matter the type of machines you install, human beings are going to operate them. If you treat human beings right, they treat the machines right. Therefore, we have reasons to talk and we will continue to talk so that we understand ourselves and avoid any communication gap which can be counter-productive.

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Labour Alleges Attempt to Shortchange PHCN Workers

 

PHCN Workers

Linda Eroke


Barely one week after the Federal Government had reached agreement with the unions in the power sector to settle all outstanding benefits of employees of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has alleged plot by the power ministry to sabotage the agreement.

The union in a statement issued yesterday, said the officials in the power ministry are insisting that they will pay 20 per cent of gratuity when the agreement stated that: “Total accrued gratuity as at June 30, 2012 shall be paid in accordance with the defined benefit scheme stipulated in the PHCN 2010 Conditions of Service.”

The statement signed by the union’s Secretary, Joe Ajaero, stated that the workers were committed more than ever before to resist any attempt by power ministry to undermine the workers or even contemplate batch payment.

 

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FG, PHCN Long Drawn Labour Dispute: The Twists And Turns

 

After almost two years of crisis between workers of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and the federal government over issues of severance pay, a truce was finally reached at about midnight on Tuesday when both parties finally came to an agreement. Juliet Alohan looks at how events between the parties played out over the period and writes

An agreement was finally reached late Tuesday night between the federal government and workers in the electricity industry under the aegis of the Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) over the payment of their severance package following the privatisation of PHCN.

The parties have been involved in series of discussions and negotiations since May 2011 with a view to resolving the labour issues in which Hassan Sunmonu played the mediator between the government and workers. The journey which led to the resolution however, was not achieved with ease.

 

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