By Goodluck Ikiebe.
Kaduna State Government has intervened in the ongoing industrial dispute between Kaduna Electric and its workers’ union, resulting in a power outage.
Deputy Governor, Hadiza Balarabe, hosted the meeting at Sir Kashim Ibrahim House on Thursday, pleading with the union to restore electricity to consumers as soon as possible.
Balarabe implored the management and the union to find common ground to resolve their differences, as the lack of power negatively affected homes, businesses, and with attendant security implications.
She said that the management and the workers of Kaduna Electric need each other and should continue to hold dialogue regularly even when the present impasse has been resolved.
Speaking earlier, the National Vice President (Distribution) of the National Union of Electricity Employees, Comrade Wisdom Chidi Nwachukwu, said that the union is not against the downsizing of workers but wants due process to be followed and all their entitlements paid.
Nwachukwu explained 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 the laid-down procedure in the pruning down of the workforce.
The union leader promised that he and other officials would communicate the Deputy Governor’s plea to their headquarters, pledging that the matter would be resolved soon.
In his presentation, the Managing Director of Kaduna Electric, Umar Abubakar Hashidu, said that the management is looking at the efficiency, progress and sustainability of the company, clarifying that 444 workers 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 is not taken by the management.
Hashidu also said that the two parties will hold another round of meetings with a third party, promising that the matter will be resolved soon.
Among those who attended the meeting were senior Government officials like the Secretary to Kaduna State Government, Dr AbdulKadir Muazu Meyere; the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Sani Liman Kila; the Special Adviser on Research, Documentation and Strategy, Fabia Okoye; and the Managing Director of Kaduna Power Supply Company, Engr. Idris Aminu Idris.
