By Victor Ahiuma-Young
ABUJA—SENIOR Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, weekend, petitioned the Federal Government, insisting that all subsisting labour issues such as ‘casual workers in the employment of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, outstanding salary increase of 137% and the 56% increase recently approved for public servants including government parastatals, are resolved, before the issue of severance benefits as part of the ongoing reforms in the power sector could addressed.

In a petition to the Labour Minister, SSAEAC, argued that in the alternative these pending issues be incorporated into the work of a committee being set up.

This came as the body said it had rejected a selection of unequal membership in a negotiating committee constituted by the Labour Minister, Chief Emeka Wogu, to handle severance.

The petition by President-General and General Secretary of SSAEAC, Comrades Bede Opara and Abiodun Ogunsegha, respectively, the union lamented that the major issues that had since been tabled before the Minister of Labour and management of PHCN for resolution were not captured or made to form a component of the Committees’ work.

According to the petition, “we suggest that a separate sub-committee be raised to deliberate on these issues, more so that these are pending unsolved items that had created long standing dispute between our association and management of PHCN.

“This sub-committee on outstanding issues with the management of PHCN should meet and handover its report to the main committee, i.e. Presidential Action Committee on Power, PACP and its recommendation approved by same.

We note also that rather than constituting a negotiating body (committee or sub_committee or whatever name) to handle severance as it is the practice all over, a selection of unequal membership as indicated in your letter under reference is out rightly wrong and unacceptable to us. The sub_committee should be made to hand over its report to the PACP and its recommendation approved for implementation.

We also wish that the issue of shortfall in the monthly remittance to the Superannuation Fund which usually attracts the attention of the National Union of Pensioners be separated for treatment to enable us concentrate on labour issues affecting existing labour force of PHCN.

Therefore, we wish that you inform us about:_ The setting up of a sub_committee to handle all outstanding labour issues vis_à_vis Casualization, salary increase etc. Our participation in the assignment of any other committees will depend on the successful handling of these issues. Setup a negotiating team of Government and the Unions to Negotiate severance package. The separation of Superannuation Fund related matters from topical labour issues.

The extension of the duration of the assignment of the Committees (including the new one to handle outstanding labour issues) to 4 weeks minimum. This is because as at time of writing this letter, we are yet to be part of any of the Committees sitting. We desire to hear from you in the shortest possible time, so that we decide on whether or not to take part in any of the Committee’s work. This is so because these issues are of great importance to us and our members.