By Victor Ahiuma-Young The National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, has dismissed allegations against the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and its General Secretary, Joe Ajaero, over the privatisation of the defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, describing the claims as a witch-hunt intended to discredit organised labour. The union, in a statement by its Acting General- Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, said the allegations, published by an online platform and attributed to a former PHCN manager, were false and failed to reflect the role played by labour unions in negotiating workers’ entitlements during the Power sector privatisation. According to NUEE, Ajaero consistently opposed the privatisation of the Power sector under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, warning that the exercise would transfer public assets to investors without the financial and technical capacity to improve electricity supply.
It argued that more than a decade after the exercise, Nigeria continues to grapple with poor electricity supply, repeated national grid collapses and increasing tariffs, insisting that these developments have vindicated the union’s position. The union explained that negotiations with the Federal Government during the privatisation were jointly conducted by NUEE, the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, and the National Union of Pensioners, NUP, stressing that Ajaero did not act alone in the process. NUEE said the negotiations resulted in what it described as one of the most comprehensive severance packages secured by workers in any privatisation exercise in the country.
On allegations that union leaders diverted workers’ 10 per cent equity shares, the union maintained that the shares were never meant to be allocated free of charge. It explained that following negotiations, the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE, informed the unions through their legal counsel, Chief Femi Falana, SAN, that the shares had been transferred to the Nigerian Stock Exchange for workers to purchase through the prescribed process. “The allegation that union leaders diverted workers’ shares is therefore false and misleading,” the statement said.
The union also defended its handling of workers’ pensions, stating that it negotiated a lump sum government contribution into workers’ Pension Fund Administrators, PF…
Summary from source