By Jimitota Onoyume
PORT HARCOURT—Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, workers, have called for the liberalisation of the power sector in place of the privatisation being pushed by government.

The staff, who protested, yesterday, in Port Harcourt  against the planned action of government, said privatisation would worsen the harsh realities facing the common man in the country and further throw thousands of energetic staff of the firm into the labour market.

Chairman, Rivers State chapter of the National Union of Electricity Employers, Mr Temple Banigo, who addressed newsmen,  called on government to regularise the employment of about 10,000 casual staff in the employ of the electricity firm, noting that this category of workers have been on this position for close to 15 years, a situation, he said, grossly violates the labour laws of the country.

The protesters also called on government to pay their outstanding salaries.
According to the Chairman, PHCN workers reached an   agreement with the Federal Government for a 150 percent pay rise.

He said so far  the government had not fully implemented the outcome of the negotiations.

The Chairman further assured that electricity supply in the country would improve if government inject more funds to rehabilitate dilapidated equipments of the electricity firm.