The Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) has appealed to the Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, to address the recent minimum remittance orders issued to Discos.
Its Deputy General Secretary, Mr Nnamdi Ajibo, in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos, said the appeal became imperative in order to prevent instability in the sector.
Ajibo said: “First, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) should verify sector workers’ salaries with a view to guaranteeing timely and full payment by first-line charge principle.
“Also, NERC should consider adjusting the minimum remittance percentages to accommodate the need for timely and full payment of salaries.
“Finally, NERC should consider setting standard emoluments for sector workers to elicit higher productivity in the whole sector,” Ajibo said.He said that the recent minimum remittance orders issued to Discos, which required Discos to pay 100 per cent of Market Operator Invoice and minimum percentage of Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) bill, was uncalled for.
“This action, without taking salary of staff that collect the revenue into consideration, is a major oversight that can trigger a domino effect capable of pulling down the sector‘s market.
“The reason is that most DisCos are not paying the paltry staff salaries as and when due or the full amounts.
“The potential negative impact of this situation is better imagined, because a hungry worker will not collect money and return it or be healthy in mind to do his best,” Ajibo said.
He said that staff salary considered as last-line charge instead of first-line charge was against the global labour practice, International Conventions and Nigeria Labour Laws.
