By Fasalie S. Kamara
Workers of the National Power Authority (NPA) have called for the dismissal of the General Manager, Dr. Zubairu Kalokoh and the Human Resource Manager Edleen Elba respectively during a demonstration held last Friday.
Speaking to Politico, the president of the NPA staff association, Alimamy Max Bangura said they had put forward a number of issues to the management to be addressed including the unavailability of safety gears for workers, delay in salary payment, risk allowances, insurance, promotion and the welfare of casual worker. He said that for the past six years there had been no increase in salaries for workers, adding that "it is necessary for our lives to be insured considering the risky nature of our job."
Bangura added that they had been trying to engage management in addressing those issues but they had so far refused. He described the management of NPA as “incompetent and dishonest” to the workers.
Speaking to Politico on condition of anonymity, one of the engineers said that “the negative attitude of the general manager and the human resource manager is contributing to the ineffective and inefficient electricity supply in the country." He added that sometimes when they drew up a programme and budget for the transmission and distribution of electricity, it could take months before approval was given “and they would tell us that the delay was caused by the board”.
Meanwhile, Minister of Energy, Oluniyi Robin-Coker told the leaders of the striking workers in a meeting following the demonstration that the NPA management had agreed to address some of the concerns of the aggrieved workers, adding that the issue of casual workers that had spent between eight and 11 years with NPA would be looked into.
For her part, the human resource manager registered her apology to the striking workers after publicly acknowledging their grievances.
(C) Politico 22/10/13
