Some disengaged workers at the Benin Electricity Distribution Company in Akure and the Igbara-Oke area office of the firm in Ondo State have threatened to sue the management of the organisation if it fails to pay their severance benefits within 10 days.
The threat was contained in a letter by their lawyer, Mr. Ifedayo Olanipekun, to the management of the BEDC and the Federal Government, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent in Akure on Tuesday.
Olanipekun alleged that the company was not being fair to the disengaged workers and that it had acted against the agreement reached with the former employees over their status.
The letter read in part, "It is the brief of our client that your company, the defunct PHCN, now BEDC, employed their services to improve your company's output. Our clients stated that such casual employment was carried out at various business districts in various states across the country.
"Following the above, our clients further informed us that they worked for years with payment of the sum of N12,000 to some, while others received more or less than that as monthly salary for their services, and in October 2013, your company stopped paying the salary up till today.
"According to our clients, your company promised and agreed with them that they would be regularised as regular staff specifically before the exit, severance or disengagement of such workers. This prompted our clients to keep working loyally for your company and waiting patiently for their regularisation and severance benefits."
It added, "Subsequently, meetings were held between the government, Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies and the national union of labour on several issues cutting across the handing over of the PHCN to the BEDC following the privatisation of the company by the Federal Government and matters relating to the meeting; it was agreed among other decisions taken that re-verified casual workers in your company remain in employment until all their benefits are paid.
"After waiting patiently for years to be regularised as full staff members, our clients told us that to their utmost surprise and dismay, the Managing Director of BEDC, Mrs. Funke Osibodu, gave an order to our clients' district heads that all the casual/contract staff members be severed and disengaged without any severance benefits."
The letter further stated, "Helpless, our clients lodged complaints through letters, media agencies and reports to authorities to remind, urge and admonish your company to honour your promise and agreement to regularise them as full staff members and pay their severance benefits, but all their efforts were to no avail and apparently fell on deaf ears."
