The Nigerian electricity workers, under the umbrella of the National Union of Electricity Employees and the 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 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 a promotion interview.”
The Union also mentioned that staff from the office of the Head of Service of the Federation are being looked down upon for working in other parts of the power sector, and that the market operator is not paying the benefits for former staff of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria as promised in December 2019 after the Union’s strike, which are reasons for starting the strike.
The Union then directed all its members nationwide to withdraw their services from Wednesday, August 17.
Following the nationwide blackout that resulted from the strike initiated by the NUEE, Ngige convened an emergency conciliation meeting between the Federal Government and the electricity workers to resolve the issues that had led to the strike.
The Federal Government, after the meeting, announced that the strike had been suspended.
It was announced in a statement issued in Abuja by Olajide Oshundun, Head of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
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 establish a committee to investigate the grievances of the labour unions.
