No implementation of demands, no work, NLC tells Gov

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Cross River says workers in the state civil service will not resume work until their demands are met.

The State NLC Chairman, Mr John Ushie, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Wednesday.

The labour unions are demanding for payment of gratuities to retirees from 2013 till date, re-commencement of promotion interview and release of promotion letters to those already promoted, among others.

Ushie said that the organised labour in the state was not shifting grounds.

He said that the demands of the workers must be met before the strike could be suspended.

“Right from Monday, June 19 that we embarked on strike, we have ensured total compliance till date."

“We have been dragging over these demands for too long now; enough is enough. We see no reason why deserving civil servants should not get their promotion letters and retirees be paid their gratuities."

“There is no worker in any of the offices right now. We have set up a task force team to ensure that all offices are under lock and key."

“What will make us to call of the strike is the full implementation of our demands. When we see the evidence, we will sit in congress and decide on what next to do,’’ Ushie said.

A NAN correspondent who visited some Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) reports that all the offices were under lock and key, leaving government activities paralysed.

Mrs Tina Agbor, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), in an interview with NAN, appealed to the striking workers to consider the interest of the state and return to work.

Agbor said that the government in spite of the dwindling Federal monthly allocation to the state, had remained committed to making workers’ welfare a priority.

According to her, the government, in a letter dated June 14, 2017 to the State Civil Service Commission, conveyed the approval of the governor for the promotion of civil servants, after six years of such an exercise.

“Also, in a Memorandum of Understanding between the government and the organised labour, on May 30, 2017, it was agreed that the promotion of deserving civil/public servants shall resume forthwith, after which letters would be released, while financial implications will be worked out by the Head of Service and Commissioner for Finance for the governor’s consideration.

“While other states are suffering from the syndrome of no salaries, Gov. Ben Ayade has consistently ensured prompt payment of salaries to workers, and sometimes, even before the due date,’’ she said.