Electricity workers suspend strike

Striking workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) yesterday shelved their strike but warned the federal government to implement the agreement reached at their meeting or they would go back to the trenches.The workers under the aegis of the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) and National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) said they were suspending their work to rule action.The unionists insisted that the incursion of Chinese, Indians, Koreans and Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) into PHCN installations with armed soldiers guiding them must be withdrawn forthwith.At a joint press conference, the unions said the timely intervention of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), State Security Service (SSS) as well as the agreement reached to meet their demands made the workers to stay action on their work to rule prayers.The workers stayed out of work since Monday to protest what they described as militarization of PHCN installation, plunging some parts of the country into darkness.While the federal government said the deployment of soldiers to guard the facilities was to protect them against possible bomb attacks, the workers said it was to intimidate them to create way for dubious buyers of the facilities.On Wednesday, the federal government ordered the striking workers back to work or face risk being sacked, arguing there was no basis to embark on strike since there was no trade dispute.SSAEAC's President, Comrade Bede Opara told newsmen yesterday that their suspended prayers were meant for government and management of PHCN to implement agreement reached with the workers, adding: 'We agree to suspend our prayers because it was agreed in our meeting that federal government should suspend the incursion of Chinese, Indians, Koreans and BPE into PHCN installations with armed soldiers guiding them.'However, the permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power Mrs. Ibukun Odusote yesterday issued a statement in Abuja, saying PHCN staff must be reminded that 'electricity is one of those critically vital infrastructures (essential services) where workers must not go on strike as doing so was tantamount to wilfully removing the life support upon which the sovereignty of Nigeria is sustained.
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