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The Nigerian electricity workers under the umbrella of the National Union of Electricity Employees and Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies have agreed to suspend the industrial action embarked upon on Wednesday for two weeks following the intervention of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, The PUNCH learnt.
The NUEE had, on Tuesday, directed its members nationwide to “mobilise immediately for a serious picketing of the TCN Headquarters and Stations nationwide over the directive by the TCN Board that all PMs in acting capacity going to the AGM must appear for promotion interview.”
The Union also cited stigmatisation of staff from the office of the Head of Service of the Federation from working in other areas of the power sector and refusal of the market operator to fund the payment of entitlement of ex-Power Holding Company of Nigeria’s staff as agreed in December 2019 after an industrial action by the Union as reasons for embarking on the strike.
The Union then directed all its members nationwide to withdraw their services from Wednesday, August 17.
Following the nationwide blackout that followed the strike embarked upon by the NUEE, Ngige summoned an emergency conciliation meeting between the Federal Government and the electricity workers to resolve the issues that led to the strike.
The Federal Government, after the meeting, announced that the strike has been suspended.
It announced this in a statement issued in Abuja by the Head, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun.
The statement read in part, “The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has apprehended the strike embarked upon by the NUEE following an emergency meeting between the union, government and other stakeholders, at the instance of the minister.
“At the end of the meeting, the Secretary-General of NUEE, Joe Ajaero, assured the minister that all necessary steps would be taken to restore the supply of electricity to the country immediately.”
Ngige also stated that the ministry would set up a committee to look into the grievances of the labour union.
