By Victor AhiumaYoung

The power supply crisis confronting the country has many angles to it. One of the angles, according to Organised labour, is the poor working conditions of workers which is affecting morale and productivity.

Speaking with Vanguard, the acting General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, Dominic Igwebike,   lamented the abysmal power situation in Nigeria, saying however, “that there is no problem without a solution. If we are ready to sincerely solve the country’s power issues, we must sit down to do the needful. We must stop the politicisation of our power problems. Playing politics with them leads to using the problems as a conduit pipe to drain the National treasury for the benefit of the political gladiators who continue to multiply the problems instead of solving them at the detriment of the working people and the masses of our country.

“Sincerity and openness are prerequisites to tame the perceived corruption in the system, which is the greatest hindrance to power sufficiency in the country. Some of the problems are the critical labour issues of casualisation, poor working conditions, wage gaps, under staffing, discrimination and among other concerns. These issues are affecting the operations in the sector which is impacting on the power situation in Nigeria. “Labour unrests are due to callous handling of workers’ welfare and victimisation by company managements. Labour partners to enhance productivity. Pensions of workers are deducted but not remitted to the pension Funds Administrators, PFAs, thereby threatening the retirement life of workers.