Labour News

TUC Protests sack of sitting union president from TCN

The sacking of the General Manager, Special Duties Transmission Company of Nigeria, comrade Chris Okonkwo, has been described by the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), as an embarrassment to Labour community.

The appointment of Comrade Okonkwo who is also the incumbent President General of Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC), was terminated by the Managing Director of TCN, Mr. Usman Gur Mohammed in a letter dated April 24, 2020.

In a letter to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, TUC stated that the purported sack is in futility, due to the fact that the originating matter is yet to be addressed by the Minister.

“The crisis in Transmission Company of Nigeria has been severally reported to your office, despite your intervention which is ongoing, the Managing Director of the company has issued a sack letter.

“This is an exercise in futility because it is ultra-vires the power of the Managing Director; Only the Minister can exercise such power in the extant laws.

“It is also an attempt to dare Labour and an embarrassment to Labour community for sacking a sitting President when a matter is already before an arbiter and has not been concluded.

TUC added that it is a “declaration of war and we are prepared for him; as law abiding citizens, we have brought the matter for urgent intervention.”

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The sack of comrade Okonkwo also generated reactions from the SSAEAC union over the weekend.

The union threatened to embark on industrial action to declare their disapproval of the action.

In a letter addressed to the TCN Managing Director, SSAEAC demanded that the sack letter be withdrawn immediately.

The union said the TCN boss took “the illegal action as part of his vindictive and anti-labour action against the union.”

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Ihesiulo Grace

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