By Thompson ABISOLA
The Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) on Sunday declared a trade dispute with the Transition Company of Nigeria (TCN) management over alleged anti-workers practices.
SSAEAC said at its National Executive Council meeting in Lagos that the management of TCN contravened some labour rules and failed to honour several meeting arrangements with the Ministry of Labour and Productivity.
The SSAEAC President, Mr. Chris Okonkwo, told journalists at the end of the NEC meeting that TCN refused to improve the condition of service for its workers.
According to Okonkwo, the TCN management has been involved in casualisation and victimisation of workers since inception about two years ago.
He added that TCN management had continued to decline efforts by the union to negotiate with it.
”After the union’s meeting in April, it suspended some members who are involved in sabotaging the union.Three of them later apologised to the union,” he said.
The union president further said that the management was withholding implementation of salary increase as started by the last administration.
He warned that there would be a showdown if the issues would not be resolved in two weeks.
When contacted, Mr.UsmanMuhammed, Managing Director of TCN, said in Lagos that the management had increased salaries and would not implement another without the approval of the Salaries and Wages Commission.
Muhammed also said TCN promoted workers who had been stagnated by the past administration, adding that the management regularly paid salaries on 18th of every month.
He advised the union to resolve its internal issues, saying that TCN had no issue with the union.
