By Oscarline Onwuemenyi
Electricity workers in the country under the auspices of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, have threatened to down tools and subsequently incite a nationwide blackout if the Federal government fails to take definite steps to resolve all labour-related issues in the privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN.

The union is also protesting the scheduled transfer of headquarter staff to the various PHCN successor companies, adding that government has remained hypocritical in its handling of labour related issues in the privatisation exercise, thus, its decision to employ drastic measures, starting with the protest.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, has explained that the affected staff are being redeployed to its successor companies, following the winding up of PHCN with effect from January 1, 2012.

He noted that going by the PHCN Act and its subsequent devolution into different generation, transmission and distribution companies, PHCN should have ceased to exist by 2007, and cited many sections of the Act to support the exercise.

In addition, Section 7 of the EPSR Act mandates the NERC to issue an interim licence to PHCN, which shall be valid for a period of not more than 18 months. The industry regulator was said to have duly issued this licence in 2006, as required by law. “What this means is that, by law, PHCN should have ceased to exist by 2007.”

Quoting Section 10, the minister said, “this law stipulates that not later than one year after the creation of successor companies, NCP shall issue a binding order to PHCN to transfer its remaining employees, assets, liabilities, rights and obligations to the successor companies.”

He said that the PHCN has been issued with the transfer order, which resulted in the current transfer of the headquarters staff “not only to the various successor companies but also to the parent ministry and other agencies of government where their services would be required.

“These processes are without prejudice to prior agreements reached with the workers on their entitlements, including the 50% salary increase which government has graciously granted the workers. The transferred workers shall enjoy their enhanced salaries, benefits and allowances in whichever successor company to which they have been redeployed.”

However, the transferred workers were told that their 50% salary increase arrears for June, July and August 2011, plus their transfer and January allowances will be paid at their new stations.