The Abia State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Uchenna
Obigwe, says the organised labour in the state had issued a seven-day
ultimatum to the state government ahead of an imminent strike over the
unpaid arrears of workers’ salaries and allowances in the state.
The
ultimatum was contained in a statement jointly issued in Umuahia on
Friday by the NLC, Joint Negotiating Council and Trade Union Congress.
The group said that the ultimatum was a prelude to an impending strike.
It
warned that labour should not be held responsible “for any breach of
industrial peace and harmony in the state,” should government fail to
address their concerns at the expiration of the ultimatum.
“A
labourer deserves his wages,” it stated, adding that the organised
labour was not satisfied with the “sectoral pattern of payment of
workers’ salaries in the state since the inception of the present
administration.”
It also stated that the unwholesome development “has placed an average worker in the state in a beggarly position economically.”
According
to a list of the arrears released by the group, primary school teachers
were owed three months, while secondary school teachers were last paid
in October 2018.
Others include Hospital Management Board (11
months); Abia State Universal Basic Education Board (four months); Abia
State University Teaching Hospital, Aba (13 months) and Abia State
Polytechnic, Aba, last paid in April 2018, plus partial payment in May,
the same year.
The organised labour said that while the senior
staff of the College of Health Science, Aba, were owed nine months,
their junior counterparts were owed eight months.
Also, Abia
College of Education (Technical), Arochukwu were owed 18 months, Abia
State University, Uturu (four months); local government workers last
paid in March, plus half salary in October 2018.
The rest were
State Education Management Board (SEMB) (eight months); Agricultural
Development Programme (14 months), Ministries of Agriculture and Lands,
Survey and Urban Planning, one month, respectively.
Labour also
said that some agencies of government, including the state Library
Board, secondary school teachers, SEMB and Abia Council for Arts and
Culture were owed arrears of the N18,000 minimum wage, ranging from 10
to 14 months.
It regretted that while the 2017 leave allowances were partially paid, the 2018 and 2019 allowances had yet to be paid.
It
further expressed concern over the government’s failure to pay pensions
as and when due, adding that only a few pensioners were paid in
November 2017.
It also said that retired civil servants were last
paid gratuity in 1999, saying that the development was tantamount to
“mercy killing.”
The group further sought explanations on how
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu ’s administration implemented the third and last tranches of the Paris Club refund to the state.
“We are worried over the non-implementation of this directive for the benefit of the workers in the state,” it said. (NAN).
Source:- Premiumtimesng
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