March 28, 2024

48,000 Ex-PHCN Workers retain Lawyer to pursue Payment of Entitlements

A group of 48,000 disengaged staff of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, has retained the services of a law firm to pursue the payment of their six years unpaid entitlements from the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE.

The spokesperson of the Disengaged PHCN Staff Forum, Hassan Musa Gar, said the BPE has refused to pay them their disengagement and other benefits six years after the privatisation of the public owned power company, stating that the failure to pay the entitlements prompted their decision to engage the services of Mr. Emmanuel Okere, an Abuja-based lawyer.

“The unpaid entitlements being owed them include 7.5 percent of federal government’s contribution of their pensions, arrears for personal/individual contributions for 16 months, 10 percent equity share ‘as required by law’ and pre-retirement training allowances.” Mr. Gar said.

Gar explained that the forum is collecting signatures of the affected former workers of the company to authorise the law firm to fight for their rights.

He said N1,000 being contributed is for logistics and facilitation fees for the legal action being taken against the BPE since the PHCN trade union and other relevant stakeholders have failed to fight for them.

He further informed that the Forum is voluntary as no member was forced to join or partake in the move to engage the services of the law firm.

Recall that the disengaged staff had about a month ago held a demonstration in Bauchi to demand unpaid entitlements.

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