From Femi Mustapha, in Kaduna
The Kaduna State Government has intervened in the ongoing industrial dispute between Kaduna Electric and its workers’ union, which has resulted in power outage in all its franchise states for four days.
The Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe who hosted the meeting at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House on Thursday, pleaded with the union to restore electricity to consumers as soon as possible because the outage has impacted negatively across all sectors.
Dr Balarabe implored the management and the union to find a common ground to ensure the resolution of their differences, as the lack of power has badly affected homes, businesses and with attendant security implications.
She further said that the management and the workers of Kaduna Electric need each other and that they should continue to hold dialogue on a regular basis even when the present impasse has been resolved.
Speaking earlier, Comrade Wisdom Chidi Nwachukwu, the National Vice President (Distribution) of the National Union of Electricity Employees said that the union is not against the downsizing of workers but wants due process to be followed and all their entitlements paid.
Comrade Nwachukwu pointed out that both the union, management and workers of Kaduna Electric are members of the same family but as the workers’ representatives, they want the management to follow laid down procedure in the pruning down of the workforce.
The union leader promised that he and other officials will communicate the Deputy Governor’s plea to their headquarters, pledging that the matter will be resolved soon.
In his presentation, the Managing Director of Kaduna Electric, Malam Umar Abubakar Hashidu, said that the management is looking at efficiency, progress and sustainability of the company, clarifying that it was 444 workers that were laid off.
According to him, the company will be unable to meet basic obligations like payment of salaries and may ultimately fold up, if action was not taken by the management.
Malam Umar also said that the two parties will hold another round of meetings with a third party, promising that the matter will be resolved soon.
The meeting was attended by the senior Government officials like the Secretary to Kaduna State Government, Dr AbdulKadir Muazu Meyere, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Sani Liman Kila, Special Adviser on Research, Documentation and Strategy, Mr Fabia Okoye and the Managing Director of Kaduna Power Supply Company, Engr Idris Aminu Idris.
