Tag: PHCN workers

  • Severance allowance: PHCN workers allege harassment from criminals

    Severance allowance: PHCN workers allege harassment from criminals

    Workers of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in Nnewi, Anambra, have alleged that criminals are harassing them following the Federal Government’s announcement of N384 billion for their disengagement.

    The workers on Wednesday embarked on a peaceful demonstration under the auspices of Anambra State Council of National Union of Electricity Employees (ASCNUEE) and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Company in Nnewi.

    The State Chairman of ASCNUEE, Mr. Steve Ezenwa, urged government to take steps to secure the immediate release of the kidnapped members of the union.

    According to him, members of the union have become targets and victims of hoodlums following the announcement by the government.

    He said, “PHCN workers are already apprehensive of the situation on ground after two female staff of PHCN, Nnewi were recently kidnapped and are still held in captivity.

    “It was unfortunate that the technical committee and financial consultants contracted to evaluate the exit package of PHCN workers have not completed the assignment before the announcement was made.’’

    He said the government should retract its statement on the matter and inform the public better on the state of affairs in the power sector.

    The News agency of Nigeria recalls that the federal government on February 22 announced the release of N384 billion for the settlement of PHCN workers disengagement allowance nationwide.

     

  • No entitlements, no disengagement – PHCN workers

    No entitlements, no disengagement – PHCN workers

     

    The National Union of Electricity Employees on Friday warned that no staff of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria should be sacked without payment of their entitlements.

    The General Secretary, NUEE, Mr. Joe Ajaero, gave the warning in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

    Ajaero said that workers of the company should not be disengaged if their severance packages were not paid.

    He was reacting to a statement by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Dr. Dere Awosika, that the ministry would start issuing disengagement letters to PHCN workers on December 17.

    Awosika had said at the 5th Power Summit in Lagos that the ministry would start issuing letters of disengagement to the PHCN workers from December 17 to December 21, “since the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) was working out the total cost of their disengagement.”

    Ajaero said that representatives of the Federal Government and the union had last week signed an agreement on how to pay pension and gratuities to PHCN workers.

    He said the government and labour unions in PHCN had agreed on payment of gratuities and pensions to the workers, as plans to transfer the ownership of PHCN to successor companies reached a climax.

    NAN reports that the ministry had announced that the Federal Government would disburse N170 billion as severance package to workers of PHCN.