The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Cross River State yesterday picketed the Ministry of Local Government Affairs and the Office of the Head of Service (HoS).
This followed the non-payment of eight months‘ salaries of local government workers and primary school teachers.
NLC Chairman Mr. John Ushie told reporters at the Ministry of Finance in Calabar the picketing became necessary because they had exhausted all avenues for settlement.
According to him, if picketing fails to yield result, labour will embark on strike.
Ushie said the state engaged a consultant, who carried out personnel audit and tagged some civil servants as ‘ghost workers.’
He said the development resulted in the stoppage of their salaries.
“As I speak, there are council workers and primary school teachers who have not received salaries since last June.
“We discover a lot of our colleagues are dying, while some are becoming bed-ridden. They can no longer perform roles as parents because they don’t receive salaries.
“How can you tag someone who is qualified and has been working for close to 20 years a ghost worker when he is present at work everyday?
“The consultant is the major cause of our problem and he must leave.
“We are not against audit, but they should bring a firm that can do the job creditably.
“If nothing is done after this exercise, we shall review our stand and embark on strike because an injury to one is an injury to all,’’ the chairman said.
Ushie said labour was not against personnel audit, but insisted the job of the consultant must end at screening.
He said the consultant should not be involved in the payment of civil servants’ salaries.
TUC Chairman Mr. Clarkson Otu said it was sad for a dedicated worker not to be paid for eight months.
Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs and the HoS, Mr. John Ulafo and Mr. Ekpeyong Henshaw, were not successful.
They neither picked calls nor replied text messages.