N384bn PHCN severance pay not released

N384bn PHCN severance pay not released

INDICATIONS emerged, yesterday, that Federal Government has not release the controversial N384 billion for the payment of the terminal benefits of workers of Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, as announced.

Disagreement also came up between government and organised labour over plans to inaugurate the technical committee on workers’ terminal benefits and the rationalisation committee to determine workers to be retrenched.

Our source gathered, however, that government representatives at a meeting yesterday with the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, denied ever making such an announcement.

They were said to have told the union leaders that what was available was N45 billion.

Labour had, on March 1, threatened to begin industrial action after March 15, if the government failed to withdraw the controversial N384 bilion and also resolve nine other pending issues with them.

Minster of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, reportedly “shocked the labour leaders by informing them that the meeting for the inauguration of both committees would be held today.”

At the meeting, Nebo allegedly inquired from the labour leaders whether they had not received their own invitation to the inauguration ceremony, to which they answered in the negative.

Our source learnt, however, that the labour leaders reportedly told the Minister that even if they had received the letter, they would not have attended the inauguration; especially the inauguration of the rationalisation committee since the technical committee on the entitlements of each worker had not completed its work.