Workers storm electricity firm in Bayelsa, disrupt operation

Workers storm electricity firm in Bayelsa, disrupt operation 20 Aug 2015 6:20 PM Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the National Union of Electricity Employees on Thursday picketed the office of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital. Scores of officials of labour unions stormed the premises of the electricity distribution company located along the Opolo area of the Mbiama-Yenagoa Road and barricaded it. The workers locked the gates of the company and prevented people including employees of PHEDC from entering and leaving the office. They brandished placards with inscriptions such as: “PHED stop intimidation and slavery”,  “Freedom of Association should not be denied staff”, “We want a stop to institutionalised casual contract appointment in PHED”, and “Workers of PHED should be treated as responsible people”. Factional Chairman of NLC in the state, Mr. Fred Oruseibo, listed arbitrary dismissal and termination of appointments of employees without cogent reasons as part of the grievances of the workers. Oruseibo, who is also State Chairman of NUEE, also said the company had deliberately refused to negotiate its procedural agreement and conditions of service of staff with labour. He said, “The most annoying part is that most of their workers are casuals. We all know that casualisation of workers is against the convention of the International Labour Organisation and against Nigerian labour laws and they refuse to negotiate the conditions of service with the staff. They did that in order to enslave the workers. “Again, not too long ago when they came and bought the company, they inherited staff that have been working in the company and about thirty-three operators were sacked. “These operators were on a salary scale of about N100, 000 to N150, 000 in a month, but they contracted their jobs out, who are now offering to pay N20, 000 and N30, 000. The workers refused and because of that they were sacked without any cogent reason.” NUEE in a letter dated July 23, issued a 14-day ultimatum to the PHED to review casualisation and contract appointment of workers as well as recall sacked employees or face picketing of its business premises. Efforts to reach the company’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Jonah Ibomah, proved abortive as his telephone rang out several times.