Two major electricity unions have suspended their planned nationwide strike following intervention by the Federal Government.
The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) had threatened industrial action over unresolved issues in the power sector, including non-implementation of the national minimum wage and other operational matters with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
The unions agreed to suspend the strike after extensive discussions with representatives of the Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu, and labour leaders.
Correspondents report that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at the end of the meeting in Abuja on Thursday night.
A copy of the MoU, sighted in Abuja on Friday, showed it was signed by representatives of the Ministers of Power and Labour, leaders of the unions, as well as representatives of TCN and the National Independent System Operator (NISO) on behalf of the Federal Government.
The General Secretary of SSAEAC and the Acting General Secretary of NUEE signed for the unions.
According to the MoU, the unions will consider the report of a standing committee between Oct. 6 and Oct. 7 with a view to beginning implementation within the same month.
It was also agreed that TCN and NISO would jointly assess the financial implications of the report and prepare an implementation plan for presentation to the minister and the unions.
The MoU further resolved that the unions would reconvene with TCN and NISO management to address outstanding issues.
It directed the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to fast-track its review of tariffs for TCN and NISO to enable the implementation of the committee’s recommendations.
A key clause of the agreement stated that no employee would face victimisation for participating in the planned industrial action.
Following the agreement, the unions suspended the strike as a show of good faith to allow for implementation of the resolutions reached.
(NAN)