By  VICTOR AHIUMA-YOUNG
IN 2003, the then President Olusegun Obasanjo began the process of liquidating the Nigeria Airway and by 2004, when the process was concluded; it left behind tales of woes. In fact, at the peak of the crisis, some of the workers who were leaving in Nigeria Airways Staff quarters, were forcefully evicted with armed Mobile Policemen and their property thrown out to the mercy of the rain and hoodlums.

Quite a number of them died fighting for their entitlements. Eight years after, the ex-workers of the former national carrier are yet to be paid their benefits. Today, workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, are at loggerhead with the Minister of Power, Professor Barth Nnaji over liquidation of PHCN even when the labour issues are said to be unresolved.

The workers under the umbrella of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC,  are not taking it lightly and have threatened to down tools and begin  an indefinite strike should the perceived illegal action of the Minister was not reversed.

In fact, NUEE has given the government February 8, 2012 deadline to rectify the anomaly or face unprecedented industrial unrest.

NUEE which had earlier in the wake of media report about the purported liquidation petitioned the Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Nwogu, on the need to intervene to avoid industrial unrest, in a second petition to Chief Wogu dated January, 20, reiterated its call on the labour Minister to prevail on the Power Minister to abandon the illegal mission of liquidating PHCN when all Labour related issues in the industry are yet to be addressed and are still being discussed by Comrade Hassan Sunmonu led Negotiation Committee
In the petition through its General Secretary, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said “It is worrisome that the same Government that appointed Comrade Hassan Sunmonu, as Negotiator/Concilliator in the negotiations between the Federal Government and the Labour Unions in PHCN on the Power Sector Reform has also jettisoned the issues already laid down for discussion by stakeholders.

This we consider as highly unfortunate and an aberration in industrial relations practice. It is also a violation of the Labour Act for the Minister of Power to declare redundancy at Corporate Headquarters and went ahead to post employees out without meeting or an agreement with the in-house Unions.”

“We patiently wait for the Power Minister to listen to the voice of reason and return to the path of social dialogue as expected in a democratic dispensation.  This we believe will promote industrial peace and harmony in the industry. However, it is necessary to inform you that if the Power Minister refuses to embrace social dialogue and sticks to his gun on the purported liquidation of PHCN when Labour issues are yet to be concluded, we would be left with no other option than to carry our destiny in our hands.

To this effect, we have resolved to give a window of opportunity for the Ministry of Power to tow the line of industrial peace which we may not guarantee beyond February 8, 2012. Consequently, if by February 8, 2012 the issues raised are not addressed, we shall without further notice withdraw our services and take our destinies in our hands.”

The workers added that “before this date, we wish to inform you that we would commence prayers and protests across the country to press home our demand.”

Unanswered questions

In another statement, the union raised some posers for the Minister and the Ministry, wondering why there so many deceptions and insincerity in the ministry.

According to the union ” We are constrained to declare the ineptitude of the management of the Ministry of PHCN Plc in conspiracy Management.  In its recent publications which could be described as the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob, it dwelt extensively on falsehood.

What level of administration would the Managing Director/CEO of PHCN be undertaking when every other member of staff of the Corporate Headquarters have been transferred to other companies, with the claim of reinforcing those companies?

Why would staff of a subsisting company be transferred to another employer without his knowledge and assent, and the former contract of appointment not formerly exhaustively concluded? When and how was the said transfer of salaries and other components made?”

“Whose appointment letter and identification card are the staff being transferred carrying?  Why would the PHCN management undertake such illegal and unconstitutional step towards the liquidation of PHCN as a company? It should be noted that this publication is uncalled for and the action of the Management unsolicited.

Therefore, the management of the PHCN Corporate Headquarters should as matter of necessity and urgency recall whoever that is said to have been posted out to his/her duty post at the Corporate Headquarters. It should be understood that the Trade Act on declaration of redundancy is clear and the act as contained in Cap. 20 and 10 cannot be discountenanced through ministerial pronouncement.”

Senior employees kick

Corroborating the views of  NUEE, SSAEAC equally threatened to down tools and begin an indefinite strike if the purported mass deployment of its members in PHCN by the Minister of Power is not suspended immediately until all labour issues were resolved.

President of SSAEAC, Comrade Bede Opara, who spoke in Lagos, vowed that organized labour would resist any mass disengagement of the workers by the Minister and said the associations had written to the Minister on the need to follow due process to avoid industrial unrest.

He said “We brought to the knowledge of Professor Nnaji the fact that before his appointment as Minister, President Goodluck Jonathan had appointed a Negotiator/Conciliator to look into and resolve the Labour issues in the Power Sector, before the Planned Reforms.

We draw his attention to the outcomes of 1st and 2nd meetings chaired by the same Negotiator/Conciliator at Abuja and Ghana wherein it was explicitly stated that no action prejudicial to the final outcome of the negotiations should be undertaken by any side.  Consequently Nnaji’s earlier memo to PHCN management and BPE to the effect that promotions are suspended was withdrawn to pave way for the negotiations.”

Similarly, SSAEAC in a petition through General Secretary, Comrade Abiodun Ogunsegan, to management of PHCN and the Minister of Power demanded explanations from the Minister reasons for the mass deployment and the modalities for the transfer since there were no vacancies in the companies these staff were sent to.

The petition said “We demand explanation from the Minister of Power, professor Nnaji on why the sudden plan by Government to wind down the corporate headquarter of PHCN and deploy all the staff therein to successor companies like Discos, Transyco, Neimco, Bulk purchaser, NERC and Naptin when the arrears formally reached on 50% of salary increase and regularization of casuals, even when the much talked about audit and verification exercise had long be completed and the workers not settled”

“The President General and Deputy President (North) are in Abuja to hand deliver our correspondences and meet with other agencies of Government to prevail on the Minister, without which, the leadership of the association will have no choice than to take necessary industrial action.”

Nnaji meets with union leaders

Meanwhile, Labour Vanguard gathered the Power Minister is expected to meet with leaders of the two in-house unions in the power sector; NUEE and SSAEAC in Lagos today.

According to him, the meeting is necessitated by the growing tension in the sector over the purported liquidation of PHCN and perceived misinformation some of the minister’s aides have been releasing to the public especially on unresolved labour issues. There are fears that if the differences between the Minister and the workers are not resolved amicably, the sector may witness a very serious industrial