By Tina Amanda
Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), has issued fourteen (14) days ultimatum to Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHED) over failure to sign PHED reviewed condition of service and remittance payment of retirement pension or face industrial action.
The Union in a letter dated 22 July 2024, and signed by the Deputy General Secretary, Comrade Innocent Lord-Douglas, demands immediate payment of the forty-two (42) months outstanding retirement remittance Pensions of PHED staff.
They further expressed concern that their members have suffered untold hardship as a result of the unpaid remittance while threatening to shut down all electricity operations in Rivers State.
The letter reads: “I am directed by our National Leadership to issue you a 14-day Ultimatum starting from today, to immediately schedule a date to sign the PHED reviewed condition of service as a working document within this 14 days on notice.
“The PHED condition of service review committee completed its assignment in October 2023, and as such, your Management has been operating with an expired condition of service, the implication of this is that you cannot enforce disciplinary action on any staff with an expired Condition of Service, of course, you are aware that Condition of Service is a deed(a constitution) that is drawn to guide the working relationship between Employees and their Employers and your continuous refusal for it to be signed as a working document despite all our entreaties leaves much to be desired ten months after the Condition of Service was reviewed.
“Secondly, we felt compelled to demand that within the next 14 days, you pay off the 42 months outstanding Remittance of retirement Pensions of PHED staff or face a total shutdown of your facilities in Rivers State and your franchise states.
“Our members have suffered untold hardship due to the high-handedness of your Management for withholding this remittance without thinking about the contributions from their poor salaries. The victims of this crime extend to the retired staff who cannot access their PFA because your management refused to remit their deductions to their pension fund Administrations.
“May I also remind you that your refusal to remit contributions within the stipulated time under the PRA 2014 had in addition to the outstanding remittance, in-cure a penalty not less than 2% of the unremitted funds in accordance with the provisions of section II(6) 8(7) of the PRA 2014?
“We are hopeful that you will heed this request to avert the consequences of being shut out of businesses and the embarrassment that is associated with it”.
