NUEE rejects Ikeja Electric service conditions

Though the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has halted its siege to Ikeja Electric (IE) headquarters, it said it would not accept the current conditions of service presented by the company.

Customers of IE were thrown into total blackout between Wednesday and Friday last week, as members of the union laid siege to the company’s office in Alausa, Lagos, and other offices in Lagos and environs.

The union members, who claimed that the picketing of IE followed the disengagement of about 40 workers, forcibly shut down operations at the offices.

Executive secretary of NUEE, Joe Ajaero, told The Guardian yesterday that there would be a meeting between the management of IE and NUEE today, where critical issues like service conditions of workers would be addressed.

Ajaero said: “Ikeja Electric does not have condition of service for some workers, and this is not acceptable to us.

We have set up a committee to develop that, but the committee is not being allowed to work.

We will be meeting with the management of IE on Wednesday to address this issue.”

Responding to queries from The Guardian yesterday, the Head, Corporate Communications, IE, Felix Ofulue, said: “The process of reviewing the conditions of service is a tripartite arrangement between IE, NUEE and Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC).

“It started in 2016 and at some point, because of differing views, the process was stalled for a while.

So, it is not really right to state that IE is frustrating the process. However, at the moment, IE has finalised its part of the review and forwarded to the other parties.

In a very short time, the committee will meet again to conclude on the process.”

Meanwhile, NUEE has flayed the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for sealing off the corporate headquarters of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) over alleged tax default.

Describing the incidence as unfortunate, the union said it expected TCN not to default in its lawful responsibility in the remittance in any form.