The country may be thrown into another round of darkness as the members of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) have said they would join the three-day warning strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress and its sister organisation, the Trade Union Congress.
The implication is that Nigeria would be thrown into another round of total darkness similar to what obtained in August when the union was protesting the non-payment of its monetisation arrears by the Federal Government.
The country had experienced 36-hour darkness before the government commenced payment of monetisation arrears of over N52b to pacify the workers.
President of the Union NUEE, Comrade Mansur Musa told THISDAY that the union would fully participate in the strike “as a loyal member of the NLC.”
Speaking to THISDAY in a telephone conversation in Abuja yesterday, Musa added that the amount already agreed through tripartite agreement as minimum wage was too little for the government to be delaying its implementation.
“The money is not much, it is just enough for survival, it is not a living wage. We are going to be a full part of this strike. Why would anyone expect light if we say we are joining the strike?” he queried.
Also Chairman of the NLC Strike Committee/Deputy President of NLC, Comrade Promise Adewusi, said the Federal Government can stop the strike if it wishes by acceding to the demands of Nigerian workers. Adewusi said past governments had shown that legislations concerning workers could be speedily passed by the National Assembly which would avert the looming strike.
“There have been precedences. In 1981, under President Shagbark, the Minimum Wage Bill was passed in 24 hours and in 2001, under President Obasanjo, it was passed in a few days. So where there is a will, there will always be a way,” he said.
Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Tailoring and Garment Workers of Nigera (NUTGTWN) and Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Issa Aremu, yesterday declared that the national strike was inevitable since the Federal Government said it was not in a position to pay the negotiated N18,000 minimum wage.
President Jonathan was reported to have said that the government was not in a position to pay a minimum wage of N18,000. Aremu, who is also a member of the NLC Strike Committee, said in Kaduna that “any attempt by the Federal Government to revisit what has been negotiated for over two years amounts to an industrial equivalent of ‘rigging’ the workers’ pay”.
According to him, President Jonathan so far has endeared himself to all Nigerians by his repeated promises to do something differently by following due process and respecting wise collective outcomes stressing that the new Minimum wage of N18,000 is an acid test for his claims to make a difference.
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Posted: at 8-11-2010 10:48 AM (14 years ago) | Addicted Hero
TO HELL WITH THEM , I DON,T EVEN KNOW KNOW THEIR VALUE WHILE NOT STRIKE , SO I THINK IT WILL BE BETTER IF THEY GO ON STRIKE BECOS ALREADY WE HAVE BEEN PAY FOR THE SERVICE THAT THEY DID,NT RENDER F**K THE WHOLE NPA CREW , AS FOR I DON,T F**KING GIVE DAMN CARE ABOUT THEM BECOS I CAN,T EVER MISS THEM
Posted: at 8-11-2010 11:44 AM (14 years ago) | Gistmaniac
LovingMike at 8-11-2010 07:57 PM (14 years ago) (m)
PHCN's attempt to go on strike is not a threat. The body is just trying to test its popularity or how important they are to the masses. I will advise them to please embark on the strike so that they will know they are of no importance to even a common man. It's high time government quickly privatised them just like the old telecoms industry that was monopolised by NITEL.
Posted: at 8-11-2010 07:57 PM (14 years ago) | Newbie
What are they waiting for? They are of no use even when they are not strike, so, even though they should go now, who cares? In fact, they should come and roll their cables from the streets so that we will know that we don't have power company in Nigeria.
Group of idiots.
Posted: at 9-11-2010 08:27 AM (14 years ago) | Gistmaniac
No time to read the details, but come to think of it,.......................who cares? did they really exist before. I dont know whether I should be blaming them or the government. so sorry for our nation. But I know things are getting better.
Posted: at 9-11-2010 05:54 PM (14 years ago) | Upcoming
(((((( 
...so make all of us go dey cry now bcos PHCN wan go strike abi? 
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