Federal Government and labour unions in the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) have finally agreed to put the lingering disputes that had threatened to truncate government’s effort to privatise the power sector behind them.

At a meeting hosted by Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim, which lasted till about 11.45 p.m. on Tuesday both parties resolved that the power reform process could now move ahead.

PHCN in-house unions – the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) – had for more than 20 months been locked in prolonged negotiations with government over condition of service, including demand for payment of workers’ gratuity up to June 30, 2012 as against the previous position of government of June 30, 2004.

Minister of Labour and Productivity, Emeka Wogu, who read out the agreement to newsmen shortly after the meeting in Abuja at mid-night, stated that both “parties have agreed that the following items will constitute the heads of agreements which will be implemented by the FGN in final resolution of all claims by the labour unions in the PHCN in relation to the said labour liabilities:

“Total accrued pension as at June 30, 2007 shall be paid in accordance with the defined benefit scheme stipulated in the PHCN 2010 conditions of service. Twenty-five per cent is payable to existing staff of PHCN while 75 per cent shall be paid into retirement savings account.”

He added that “total accrued pension contributions shall be paid from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2012 in accordance with the provisions of the Pension Reform Act 2004.

“Severance shall be paid as 20 per cent of total accrued benefits being the sum of accrued pensions as at June 30th 2007. Accrued gratuity as at June 30th 2012 and 15 per cent pension contribution from July 1, 2007 through June 30th 2012.”

Other aspects of the agreement, according to minister, are: “Repatriation allowance shall be paid five per cent of annual pensionable emolument. Long service award shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of PHCN 2010 conditions of service and 13th month salary shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of PHCN 2010 conditions of service.”

The agreement was signed on behalf of the Federal Government by Ayim, while President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Peter Esele, and Secretary General of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Joe Ajearo, signed on behalf of the unions.

Speaking to reporters, Esele explained that the meeting which began at about 4.00 p.m. finally resolved all outstanding issues after some heated argument.

He noted that both parties had to shift grounds in the interest of the country.

“Now the government will have no more excuse that the union is preventing the reforms from working. We hope to see 24 hours power supply in Nigeria soon.”

SSAEAC’s President, Bede Opara, while welcoming the new agreement as a push in the right direction, called on government to look into an earlier bill passed by the National Assembly that seeks to encourage investors to go to localities in the country to generate power and sell to those localities, as opposed to the idea of ‘distribution companies’ that emerged from the unbundling of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) playing that role by NASS as a way of jump starting the sector.

“We call on the Federal Government to install gas turbines where there are no dams because some dams that were commissioned in the 1980s are still not being utilised, and therefore the Federal government should allow the states where they are built to use them for the sector to thrive.”

NUEE’s General Secretary, Ajaero, in his remarks, stated that it is high time the Federal Government identified individuals who are preventing the sector from performing and getting them out of the system.

Also in her own remarks, Minister of State for Power, Zainab Kuchi, noted that what is now left is the issue of payment, adding that the ministry will have to make funds available for settlement of the payments

http://dailyindependentnig.com/2012/12/phcn-sales-fg-electricity-workers-resolve-rift/

GOOD o, very Good. Now, the major obstacle on the way of the conclusion of the Privatisation program has been removed. But ehm, where are we exactly with the Privatisation program sef?

Yes, this was essentially d only obstacle to d conclusn of d Privatizatn process of PHCN..... The process is right on schedule. The bidders hv already submittd Bank guarantees for 15% of d value of dier bids, individually negotiatd the payment and takeover modalities with BPE, and are supposd to pay 25% of d bid value b4 d end of d month and d remaining 75% afta dat- all on schedule; and now dat labour issues hv bn resolvd, sm of dem shld be tking over dier companies by at least March/April nx yr.... GEJ shld conclude dis extremely critical process (which has bn very professionally and transparent done so far) and write his name in gold 4eva

nameo: GOOD o, very Good. Now, the major obstacle on the way of the conclusion of the Privatisation program has been removed. But ehm, where are we exactly with the Privatisation program sef?

@MODS, i wud tink dat a thread on d removal of d remaining obstacle to d attainment of 24-hr power supply in Nigeria ova time (PHCN workers finally agreeing to GO and paving d way for private investors who won d bid to tk ova d most of d power sector) shld be on d FRONTPAGE; at least b4 threads like Pst Bakare's son slapping a soldier Or Iyanya dating Yvonne and Tonto...... NL these days..

taharqa: @MODS, i wud tink dat a thread on d removal of d remaining obstacle to d attainment of 24-hr power supply in Nigeria ova time (PHCN workers finally agreeing to GO and paving d way for private investors who won d bid to tk ova d most of d power sector) shld be on d FRONTPAGE; at least b4 threads like Pst Bakare's son slapping a soldier Or Iyanya dating Yvonne and Tonto...... NL these days..

THANK YOU.
I KNEW ALL ALONG THAT GOVT. WANTED TO CHEAT NIGERIANS WORKING IN THAT SECTOR.
HOWEVER, THEIR STRENGTH OF RESISTANCE HAS PAID OFF FINALLY.
KUDOS TO THEM.
IT WAS NOT THE WORKERS THAT HINDERED THE PRIVATISATION PROCESS.
IT WAS GOVT'S INSINCERERITY.
ONLY ONE PERSON IN GOVT CAN EMBEZZLE 1 BILLION IN ONE HOUR.
BUT TO COMPENSATE PEOPLE WHO HAD WORKED FOR 20 YEARS IN PHCN IS A BIG PROBLEM FOR OUR THEIVING GOVT.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE OUT-GOING STAFFERS OF PHCN.

Dis wont be bad on frontpage now

Second, this nation is littered with 3rd worlders and those people are VERY comfortable, accustomed, ok with having oligarchs (who are white) rule over them and commit massive corruption every single day.  In fact, in black-run cities, they virtually INSIST on having a corrupt leader.  Bonus points if he's black too.

Ordinary whites seem to believe blacks have the same innate notions of right and wrong and even same basic concept of how government works.  They don't. Most asians get this, but they have corruption issues as well.  Blacks don't conceptualize governance as representation, they conceptualize it as ownership, chiefdom.  It is not corruption to them, it is what the chief do with he property, as he see fit because it beez his.

There's no innate African concept of construction, building for the future, things are here and now, very non future time oriented.  We got 13% of them

Olaolufred:

THANK YOU.
I KNEW ALL ALONG THAT GOVT. WANTED TO CHEAT NIGERIANS WORKING IN THAT SECTOR.
HOWEVER, THEIR STRENGTH OF RESISTANCE HAS PAID OFF FINALLY.
KUDOS TO THEM.
IT WAS NOT THE WORKERS THAT HINDERED THE PRIVATISATION PROCESS.
IT WAS GOVT'S INSINCERERITY.
ONLY ONE PERSON IN GOVT CAN EMBEZZLE 1 BILLION IN ONE HOUR.
BUT TO COMPENSATE PEOPLE WHO HAD WORKED FOR 20 YEARS IN PHCN IS A BIG PROBLEM FOR OUR THEIVING GOVT.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE OUT-GOING STAFFERS OF PHCN.

Oh well, am actuali not honestly interested in who 'won' or who didnt in the negotiations; I am just happy that this knotty OBSTACLE has been removed and that the Privatization process can be finally consummated without much hindrance.

By the way, from the article I think both sides shifted grounds. But if the workers are more happy with the Agreement, I say Good for them. I also wish them as quick a disengagement as is possible, so the new private bidders can take over and give the nation stable power.

Olaolufred:

THANK YOU.
I KNEW ALL ALONG THAT GOVT. WANTED TO CHEAT NIGERIANS WORKING IN THAT SECTOR.
HOWEVER, THEIR STRENGTH OF RESISTANCE HAS PAID OFF FINALLY.
KUDOS TO THEM.
IT WAS NOT THE WORKERS THAT HINDERED THE PRIVATISATION PROCESS.
IT WAS GOVT'S INSINCERERITY.
ONLY ONE PERSON IN GOVT CAN EMBEZZLE 1 BILLION IN ONE HOUR.
BUT TO COMPENSATE PEOPLE WHO HAD WORKED FOR 20 YEARS IN PHCN IS A BIG PROBLEM FOR OUR THEIVING GOVT.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE OUT-GOING STAFFERS OF PHCN.

My thought exactly. One wonders why it took them this long.
Anyway, all well and good. No more excuses. Let's see how the retardeen will fair.

I hope dey don't retain ds present crop of PHCN staff O, cos they are d mosr corrupt set of workers in ds country! Anyway, it depends on d head! With a new work environment nd boss they ♏αy change their mindset but again cn a leopard change its spot? Btw, ds never made front page? Too bad!

Good news hardly make front page in Nairaland. If it was about Poko(Tonto Dike) don blow now or sahara reporters propangada, it would have made front page

Am just asking. What happens to defunct PHCN debtors with the advent of these new owners?