By Victor Ahiuma Young

SENIOR Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, has accused the Bureau for Public Enterprises, BPE, of misleading and misinforming Nigerian public on the planned privatisation of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN.

In a petition to the Director_General of the Bureau, SSAEAC, warned the BPE against toying with labour concerns, and that PHCN workers will not compromise issues that affect them as stipulated in their conditions of service.

The petition signed by the President_General and General Secretary of SSAEAC, Mr Bede Opara and Mr Abiodun Ogunsegha, respectively, condemned BPE for allegedly vilifying the General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE.

The petition titled, “Re: BPE woos electricity workers on power reforms”, the association expressed dismay with media report credited to BPE on 12th October, 2010 on the subject matter and concluded that the publication was misguided, as it was intended to mislead the public on issues relating to the sale of the PHCN.

According to the association, “You (BPE), claimed that you and the government informed the Unions of Governments’ commitment to privatize the unbundled companies of PHCN. Merely informing the unions as claimed by you does not amount to carrying the unions along on the planned intention of government knowing that the unions who as a major stakeholder collectively represents the interests and aspirations of over 40,000 Nigerians in the services of PHCN.

It is clearly out of practice to read only in the newspapers matters that will affect the well being of thousands of employees of PHCN who have subsisting Conditions of Service with the management of the company. Mere information is not in tandem with the principle of collective bargaining, as entrenched in our labour laws. We make bold to say that a responsible organisation saddled with the responsibility of ‘selling’ public enterprises is not expected to handle labour, as a stakeholder with such levity.”

The workers critiised that such attitude was responsible for the woes of already privtised government entreprises such as “NITEL (where the workers are only to be settled their arrears of salaries and entitlements three (3) years after several attempted/unsuccessful sale. Daily Times _ several litigations had visited the sale and workers mourned the ill_treatment meted to them, and many more.”

The association further argued that negotiation on payment of arrears of monetisation with the Minister of State (Power) was not tantamount to a full scale discussion on privatisation/reform with labour unions.

It added, “It is equally astonishing to claim that 98 percent payment of monetisation arrears to PHCN workers had been achieved. The record at our disposal indicated that only 85 percent of the workforce had been paid in two and half months, instead of the two weeks agreed with government.”

The union equally expressed surprise that the President had set aside N130 billion to address labour issues in the reform as this was not negotiated as part the severance benefits to members.