Labour issues deadline on soldiers' withdrawalTHE current strike embarked by electricity workers over the deployment of soldiers to Power Holding Company of Nigeria's (PHCN) facilities across the country yesterday took a different turn, as Federal Government said it may treat their action as a criminal act against the state.However, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday gave the Federal Government two weeks to withdraw the soldiers or face an industrial action.The Acting General Secretary of NLC, Owei Lakemfa, dismissed the claim by government that it took the move to secure the facilities from attacks from the radicalIslamic sect, Boko Haram.Speaking at a news conference in Abuja yesterday, Lakemfa alleged the move means more than meet the eyes.He alleged that contrary to popular insinuations, the troops were deployed to guard the visitingChinese and Indian expatriates, including officials of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) who have been on assessment tours of various power installations across the country.He debunked the allegations that PHCN workers are presently on industrial action.He said: 'Electricity workers as at the moment are not on strike; they are only protesting the heavy presence of security personnel at various PHCN installations and the ploy of using them on assessment rounds at PHCN's installations without consultations with the relevant unions.Also speaking against the background of a planned strike by the NLC over the proposed withdrawal of subsidy on petroleum products, and the alleged non-implementation of the minimum wage, the NLC's National President, Waheed Omar, said the development would not deter labour from its planned protest.A statement signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, stressed that by the essential services, which they provide to the nation, the electricity workers could not just down tools.She said: 'Government, therefore, wishes to remind all PHCN staff and indeed, all Nigerians that electricity is one of those critically vital infrastructure - essential services - where workers must not go on strike as doing so is tantamount to willfully removing the life support upon, which the sovereignty of Nigeria is sustained.'Even at that, doing so under any guise, would be seen by this government, as a heinous crime against the State.'Pointing attention to the prevailing security challenges in the country that necessitated the deployment of soldiers to power installations in the country, she wondered why the workers were opposing the move.She added: 'These are preemptive measures to protect citizens employed in these organisations and safeguard power installations.'The security personnel are under strict instructions to protect the lives of workers and guard installations from possible terror attacks, which would undoubtedly throw the nation into total darkness thereby weakening the present government's efforts to sustain the gains so far made on the economy.'Meanwhile, the Federal Government has warned that only PHCN workers whose data are biometrically verified would be paid the recently approved 50 per cent salary increase.Describing the resistance of the biometric verification by the labour union as indication of the existence of ghost workers in the sector, Odusote noted: 'Government observation on the wage bill gives the indication that some acclaimed staff might be ghost workers thereby channeling public funds to non-existent PHCN workers.Addressing reporters yesterday at the seventh national labour relations summit at Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies(MINILS) Ilorin, the NLC boss advised the Federal Government to constantly use referendum to gauge the pulse of its citizens before theintroduction of any major policy.He believed that such a development would engender good governance and peace in the country.
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