Organized Labour in Ebonyi State on Sunday called for the full implementation of the minimum wage and autonomy for local government.
They made the call in an address to mark this year’s Workers Day celebration.
They called on the state government to review the salaries of the workforce, complaining that they can no longer sustain their households with their salaries following the present economic realities in the country.
The State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Leonard Nkah and the State Chairman of Nigeria Union of local government Employees (NULGE), Stanley Ewah made the call in separate addresses to the State Governor, David Umahi.
Mr Ewah in his address urged the Umahi to ensure speedy passage of the bill on local government autonomy as passed by the National Assembly and transmitted to the State Houses of Assembly.
“In response to the yearnings of our members, we are pleading for espeditious financial implementation of the promotion arrears as graciously approved and full implementation of the new minimum wage”, he added.
Mr Nkah while appreciating the recent promotion released and the regular payment of their salaries, however, noted that “the take-home from their salaries, can no longer take care of their home,”.
He therefore, requested “a salary review to enable the workers to cope with the present economic realities in the country.”
The Ebonyi workers, according to the NLC Chairman also appealed to Governor Umahi to increase the workforce of the State since the interview recruitment exercise for the civil servants has been conducted to reduce the rate of unemployment in the state.
”With a due sense of humility, Your Excellency, we kindly request for your consideration and approval of the outcome of the already conducted interview and exams of the applicants for the state civil service because it will help to reduce the rate of unemployment facing the state and country in general.
“We appeal to the governor that since the recruitment interview has been conducted that we expect the workforce should be increased on time so that the next governor will not say the action was targeted to heap wage bill on the administration,” he said.
The workers recalled that “in the public service, in the authorized establishment in the budget of every year, vacancies are created, for conversion and promotion of the workforce and if not implemented, the vacancies created will continue to affect the wheel of service.”
They, therefore, urged Governor Umahi to complement his efforts in keeping the service alive, for optimal productivity, saying that “there is a need for immediate approval of conversion and advancement of workers who are due and qualified with the requisite credentials to fill the vacancies created in the authorized establishment of 2022.”
On the suspension of some senior staff of some senior staff for alleged extortion of some civil servants during the recent promotion exercise Mr Nkah pleaded with the governor to rescind the decision of stopping their salary to avoid heaping unjust injuries on their families as their love ones depend on their salaries to survive.
He said the suspended staff had to collect some fee in other to be able to process the documents as most of the equipments for the issuance o grey documents had broken down.
“From the available investigation on our table, we found out that almost 90 per cent of the manual typewriters of the offices in charge on the issuance of the G-35 are either dysfunctional or not available.”
The NLC Chairman lamentee the difficult working condition of workers at the Ochudo Secretariat describing their experience as pitiable.
He expressed concern about how the workers trek to their offices and homes every day, even under the hectic sun and rain due to inadequate transport provisionto the secretariat.
He therefore requested that a mini-transport scheme be provided by the state government to be taking the workers to their various blocks and back to their residential locations at the close of work to give their best.
Mr Nkah stated that Ebonyi State is not lagging in her commitment to putting smiles on the faces of its senior citizens.
He however called for the review of the pension in line with Section 210(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which stipulates taht pension review be carried out every five years.
The organized labour while appreciating Governor Umahi for the payment of pensions in the stat, requested that the outstanding gratuities due to the pensioners be paid to enable them to cope with the current economic realities.
The workers commended the governor for his tireless efforts in combatting communal crises in Ebonyi State but noted that the arrears of the previously suspended salaries of the public servants from Effium and Ezza Effium in Ohaukwu LGA should be paid to them, accordingly.
“We got to know that they have received the April 2022 salary but the arrears of the other months are still hanging,” he observed”, Mr Nkah said. Ends