Union Groups Threaten To Shut Down Egbin, Other Power Plants Over Sack 400 Electricity Workers.

Following last Friday’s sack of 400 members of National Union of Employees, NUEE by the management of Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, IKEDC, Labour unions in the power and oil and gas sector have threatened to shut down Egbin power station and other power plants across the country. 
The Unions which included; National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE; Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, gave a seven-day ultimatum to the management of IKEDC to recall the affected workers unconditionally or risk unprecedented industrial action.
Among the workers who were sacked last Friday without reason is Mr. Christian Omemeh, a deputy president of NUEE.
While expressing shock over the sack, NUEE and SSAEAC, in the ultimatum to the IKEDC, lamented that since the takeover of the company on November 1, 2013, the management had refused to put in a place a mechanism to draw-up credible conditions of service that would enjoy joint authorship of labour and employer for the benefit of both staff and management.
According to them, the sins of IKEDC includes the sack of the 400 union members even though the management had claimed nothing of such was coming.
“Union then demanded to know the parameters being used, and management agreed to invite the headship of the union to confidentially show them the parameters being used and how the assessment is being done. Unfortunately, up till today, when management has gone ahead to disengage another batch of about 400 of our members, no invitation has been extended to the union. This is an exhibition of disrespect to the unions, contrary to best labour practices. “Arising from the above enumerated anti-labour behaviours therefore, the union hereby issues you seven days to address all these demands or we will be left with no alternative than to take legitimate means of defending the interests of our members and this shall be without further notice,” the unions said.
Reacting to the sack, NUPENG in a statement by its President, Mr. Igwe Achese, said: “The union has put its members on notice in NGC to commence a shutdown of supplies of gas to the thermal stations and plants if the 400 workers are not called back to work when the seven-day ultimatum expires.”  Thanks for reading.

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