By Anthony Isaac
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has faulted the claims by the national arm of Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) which stated that TCN is yet to remit its N29 million check-off dues.
The company by its General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah said the claim was geared towards attempting to incite staff based on deliberate misrepresentation of information.
The national body of SSAEAC had alleged that outstanding check-off dues that ought to have been paid to the union by the end of December 2019, as agreed in a meeting held with TCN and Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, was yet to be paid.
But TCN clarified that the meeting was held with the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Labour and Employment, not with the Minister of Labour as claimed and that check-off dues to both the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) and Nigerian Union of Electricity Workers (NUEE) have been paid up to January, 2020.
“We further note that at the said meeting with the Permanent Secretary, an Accounts Reconciliatory Committee was set up consisting of three TCN staff and three SSAEAC members, to collectively examine the payment records by TCN and reconcile with SSAEAC records, in order to determine if there are any outstanding payments due to the Union. This was duly carried out.
“It is important to note that TCN usually remits Union Check-off dues within two weeks after salaries are paid. Remittance was suspended for SSAEAC after March 2019 payment, because the Local Chapter of SSAEAC complained that the percentage of the dues due to them from the Check-off dues paid to the national body was not being remitted by SSAEAC national. The suspension was lifted on the directive of the Permanent Secretary and this was complied with.
“We therefore urge members of the public and the stakeholders in the power sector to disregard the insinuation of labour face-off in the company as TCN has fully discharged its obligations by paying the Union check-off dues to-date”, the statement added.
It explained that “the company is committed to expanding the grid and is very sympathetic to issues of staff capacity development and welfare which is why today, staff of TCN are the most productive in the power sector. This can be proven by the responsibilities they undertake, including the installation of most of the over 75 power transformers installed across the country in less than three years”.
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