COVID-19: Electricity Workers Threaten Shutdown Over Inadequate Protection

Workers in the nation’s power sector, under the aegis of National Union of Electricity Employees, yesterday threatened to shut down the power sector in the next 24 hour if the Ministry of Power and other employers in the sector failed to provide adequate precautionary measures to protect staff.In a letter to the Power Minister, General Secretary of NUEE, Joe Ajaero, said the Minister would be held responsible for the transmission of COVID-19 to any staff in Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, especially its headquarters for his failure to comply with the Federal Government’s directive on people that travelled to countries with high cases of infection to self-isolate

The letter read in part

“Our attention has been drawn to the return of the Minister of Power – Mr. Sule Mamah from his trip to Germany and Egypt while on the entourage of the Chief of Staff to the President. The Minister despite the President’s directive to self-isolate; reported at the office in the midst of agitation and complains from the staff at TCN Head Quarters, Abuja. If not for the intervention of the Union, there would have been pandemonium at the office, on Monday, March 23, 2020.

“In view of recent developments, the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, wishes to state unequivocally that the Minister of Power – Sule Mamman will be held responsible for the transmission of COVID-19 to any staff in TCN especially its Headquarters for his failure to comply with the Federal Government’s directive on people that travelled to Countries with high cases of infection to self isolate.

“Besides, NUEE wishes to warn employers in the Power Sector especially those whose staff constantly have an interface with Customers/Public, that should they fail to, within twenty-four (24) hours take adequate precautionary measures to protect staff, we will be forced to pull out our members and will not be held responsible for any consequence arising there from. Employers of Labour in the Power Sector are hereby urged to take necessary measures to ensure the safety of staff in the Power Sector.”