By Francis Ajuonuma (Lagos), and Cross Udo (Abuja)
Electricity workers under the joint umbrella of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEC), yesterday called off their nationwide strike less than 24 hours after shutting down all the power generating facilities across the country.
The workers suspended the industrial action, following the intervention of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige.
Ngige summoned an emergency conciliation meeting between the Federal Government and the electricity workers yesterday to resolve the issues that precipitated the industrial action.
The issues are the alleged contravention in their Conditions of Service and Career Progression, stigmatisation of electricity staff by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, and refusal of the market operators to fund the payment of entitlements of ex-PHCN staff as agreed in the December 2019 agreement.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, which lasted about four hours, the President of NUEE, Comrade Joe Ajero, said they have been asked to suspend their strike action.
Ajaero expressed hope that the Federal Government would act in good faith on the issues in dispute which have lingered for years, to a very dangerous point.
He said they would take a pause on the industrial action and wait for two weeks as agreed in the meeting for the government to address their grievances.
The President of SSAEC, Comrade Chika Ben assured the nation that the matter would be nipped in the bud before it escalates, adding that there would be no further blackout in any part of the country.
Briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting, Ngige said after exhaustive deliberations on the issues in dispute, they agreed to constitute a bipartite committee to look into the grievances of the electricity workers and report back in two weeks.
According to Ngige, the members of the bipartite committee include the Minister of State for Power, Jeddy Agba (Chairman), Permanent Secretary, Office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Permanent Secretary, General Services, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, representative of BPE and two representatives from NUEE and SSAEC.
The Minister said the committee has two weeks to report back to the whole house.
Meanwhile, the industrial action, which went into effect earlier yesterday brought to a standstill business activities in the entire axis of Taraba state.
Owners of small-scale businesses, who spoke with our state correspondent, said they are not aware that the electricity workers have concluded plans to down their working implements today.
Uchenna Ogechi said, “If I am aware that the workers are embarking on strike today, I would not have gone as far as collecting this job to the extent of even promising to deliver them back to my customer tomorrow.”
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Ogechi, who is a fashion designer, lamented, “As you can see, none of my sewing machines is manual, they all use power.
“I have not been able to do anything since morning,” she lamented.
Her sad tales were not different from all the owners of the small-scale businesses that were contacted by one of our correspondents.
The operator of one of the busiest hotels who also aligned his weight to that of Ogechi, said “could you believe that up till this moment that I am talking with you, we have not been able to pump water into our hotel rooms?”
The operator, who craved anonymity, said “I was not disturbed when the power went off at about 7 pm today, not knowing that they had embarked on their strike action.”
Citing the outrageous cost price of diesel, he urged the authorities concerned to as a matter of urgency attend to the demands of the employees “because that is the only way our customers will not distance themselves from our business premises.”
