By Abdul lawal

What would have amounted to total power blackout across Nigeria has been averted following swift intervention by the federal government in the ongoing feud between the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE)

The union had threatened to embark on nationwide industrial action starting from 16th August over allegations of poor staff welfare by the management of TCN, an action that would have plunged the country into total darkness for days

But in a swift move to curtail the planned nationwide strike by NUEE , the Federal Government wrote the leadership of the union pleading for two weeks period to enable it resolve the issues raised by the NUEE scribe Joe Ajaero in his letter to union members

Minister of State for Power, Goddy Jedy-Agba said in a letter dated August 15th, 2022 addressed to the Electricity workers Union that government had taken cognisance of the complaints contained in the strike notice issued by NUEE.
” The Ministry of Power takes cognisance of your complaints therein and is committed to proffering solutions that will be acceptable to all parties concerned “
“May we appeal to your great Union to allow us two weeks from the date of this letter to address the issues and come up with proposals towards acceptable resolution of all issues” the Minister pleaded.

In the strike notice issued by NUEE General Secretary Joe Ajaero, the union said” This action takes effect from Tuesday 16th August 2022 and total withdrawal of services commence on Wednesday 17th ,August 2022″

In issuing the directive to all its members to commence mobilisation across the country ,Ajaero said this action should take effect ” Immediately for the picketing of TCN Headquarters and stations nationwide over the directive by the TCN Board that all PMs in acting capacity going to AGM must appear for promotion interview “

According to Ajaero the TCN directive was in contravention of the conditions of service and career progression paths,and unilaterally done without the relevant stakeholders.

Ajaero identified other grudges of his members to include; “stigmatisation of staff from the office of the Head of service of the Federation from working in other areas in the power sector’, and
” Refusal of the Market Operator to fund the payment of entitlement of Ex-PHCN staff as agreed in December 2019 agreement after an industrial action by the Union”