The Federal Government has secured an agreement with electricity workers’ unions to suspend a planned nationwide strike after extensive negotiations in Abuja.
The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) had threatened to withdraw their services over unresolved issues with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), including the non-implementation of the national minimum wage and other operational disputes.
Following meetings with the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, and representatives of the Ministry of Labour, the unions agreed to suspend their strike.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed late Thursday night by officials of the two ministries, leaders of the unions, as well as representatives of TCN and the National Independent System Operator (NISO).
Key resolutions in the MoU include a directive for the unions to consider the report of a standing committee between October 6 and 7 with a commitment to commence implementation within the same month.
TCN and NISO will jointly assess the financial implications of the report and prepare an implementation plan for submission to the Minister of Power and union leaders.
The agreement also mandates the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to expedite the review of tariffs for TCN and NISO to enable the execution of the committee’s recommendations.
In addition, both unions are expected to reconvene with management of TCN and NISO to address other outstanding matters in the sector.
Importantly, the MoU contains a clause that guarantees no employee will face victimisation for participating in the industrial action, a provision welcomed by labour representatives as a show of good faith.
With the strike suspended, concerns over disruptions to the national grid and power supply have been temporarily eased.
However, stakeholders in the power sector will be monitoring closely to ensure that the resolutions are implemented within the agreed timeframe.
