Electricity workers have appealed to the new investors in the power sector to prevail on the Federal Government to resolve pending labour issues before handing the companies over.
Mr. Mansur Musa, President, National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), made the appeal on Thursday in Lagos.
Musa said that the pending labour issues could lead to disruption of operations in the sector.
“The representatives of the government were to meet with the workers on October 30, but the meeting was later shelved.
“This issues ought to have been raised at the meeting and solutions to them outlined, but the meeting did not hold.Electrocution-1
“Before the government hands over, the issue of non-payment of retirees who were disengaged in 2011 and regularisation of some of casuals already identified should be settled.
“The 10 per cent equity shareholding by the workers and the shortfall of terminal benefits from June 2012 till date should be addressed.
“There is also the issue of pension fund administrators that should be settled. These issues will continue to recur if unsettled,” Musa said.
Federal Government has slated November 1 as official handing-over date of the PHCN companies to the new investors.
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Dikki, said that the government had settled a larger percentage of the workers’ severance entitlements.
Dikki said the government had earmarked 2.6 billion dollars (about N360 billion) for the settlement of workers’ entitlements.
