Aggrieved members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Electricity Employees arm on Monday, September 7, 2020 locked down the office of the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company,(PHED), over alleged inability to respond to workers plight.
The action which follows allegation by members of the electricity farm lack of welfarism plan for electricity workers in the company, adding that the distribution company declined on signing the workers condition of service and procedural agreement as done in other distribution companies.
According to the General Secretary, National Union of Electricity Employees, Mr Joseph Ajaero alleged that the distribution company has been the unionising its members and refused to remit workers deducted check off dues.
He said: “The electricity workers, Port Harcourt electricity zone which covers Port Harcourt, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Bayelsa States have shut down the headquarters of Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company for refusing to sign workers’ condition of service and procedural agreement.
“That all the electricity companies in the Country have signed conditions of service except Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company and organising slave labour here, you don’t work in a place without condition of service, that is where rules of engagement and procedures are stated for the workplace, so there must be industrial democracy in the workplace.
“We started our protest at 12 midnight today and we’ll be here till further notice and if we leave here and these issues are not resolved, we will take a solidarity action nationwide.”
However, the spokesperson for PHED, Chioma Aminwe, said the issues raised by the workers are been looked into.
Ibukunoluwa Temitope
