By Jamiu Ganiyu
All is not well within the ranks and file of Nigeria labour unions over the picketing of Osogbo Transmission Company of Nigeria on Monday by Trade Union Congress of Nigeria as a sister union under the name of National Union of Electricity Employees distanced themselves on the purported industrial action being embarked upon by TUC and ordered her workers to continue their normal duties.
The Trade Union Congress had on Sunday through a press release signed by the Secretary-General of Trade Union Congress, Barrister Musa Lawal, a copy which was made available to osun.life, inform its state branches that hosts the power substations of transmission company of Nigeria to proceed on an indefinite strike citing unresolved and protracted issues between the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSEA&AC) and Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
While monitoring the compliance level of the picketing by TUC at Osogbo, osun.life visited Osogbo substation and saw that security agencies were manning the entrance to avoid unlawful encroachment.
Upon investigation, osun.life discovered that the actual workers of the sub-station under the umbrella of National Union of Electricity Employees were going on with their normal duties at the Sub-station and distanced themselves from the picketing being embarked upon by TUC.
While answering questions from our correspondent, the Chairman of Ikeja National Union of Electricity Employees, Comrade Tijani Musibau, said his own union do not have any problem with Transmission Company of Nigeria and that the TUC that embarked on the industrial action does not have any jurisdiction whatsoever because TUC does not have any member that work with Transmission Company of Nigeria.
He alleged that the leadership of TUC was fighting for their personal interest and working to do the bidding of some vested individuals.
That TUC boss said the issue of the picketing has to do with the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAE &AC), which is an affiliate of Trade Union Congress, he submitted that it is their responsibility to stand by their affiliate in time of challenge which was exactly they were doing now.
In his own reaction, the Chairman of the TUC in Osun, Comrade Adekola Adebowale, admitted that TUC faced resistance from National Union of Electricity Employees, who he described as an affiliate of unregistered labour centre. The labour leader in the state, however, urged the members of public to dismiss anything coming from the NUEE on the issue of the picketing as unauthentic.
Comrade Adebowale went further to disclose some of their demands from Transmission Company of Nigeria among which were the removal of UG Mohammed; withdrawal of queries issued to SSAEC officers; disbandment of illegal COS review committee; review of promotions, transfers and sanctions in the last one year; reconciliation of SSAEC check off remittances since January, 2017; account of all donor monies received since January, 2016; account of all 735 containers cleared from the ports among other critical issues.
One of the security officers who spoke under condition of anonymity said they were directed to ensure that the protesting workers do not gain entrance to the facility to avoid shutting down the power substation which would cause a total blackout in all the states of the federation that the facility serves.
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