Employees of Power Holding Company (PHCN) yesterday threatened to shut down power supply to the country next Wednesday if the management fails to respond to their demand for a 300 per cent wage increase, as well as to prove a point to those who say PHCN is an illegal entity.

Besides, the workers called for the immediate release and implementation of the House of Representatives Commi-ttee on Power probe report on the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP), which they alleged was about to be swept under the carpet, and promised to resist such move.

They have also resorted to a prayer session over the matters.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, the National Organising Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Comrade Temple Iworima, said they took the decisions because “we are treated like slaves in this country.”

He said they were also the least paid workers in this sector, for which reason they were demanding for the 300 per cent increment in their wages.
But a statement by the management of PHCN expressed concern with the workers’ demands, saying the union and management had since agreed to reconvene and get the negotiation back on track.

“PHCN management reaffirms its commitment to the actualisation and sustenance of the presidential mandate of 6,000MW by December 2009, and fully understands that staff welfare must be given priority  to achieve the set mandate,” the statement said.

vanitty:

The fact that electricity supply is so bad is no way the fault of the employees.
The root of the problem stems to the politician that refused to do the right thing but would rather be a gobbling duck and embezzle the money set aside for the phcn development.

Mai Suya:

Good point.