THE National Secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has, in a letter to Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade, demanded for a prompt response to the grievances of the state’s workers which led to the current indefinite state-wide industrial action since last week.
In the letter dated 12th October 2021, entitled “Re: Notice of Industrial Action,” signed by its President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the NLC asked Governor Ayade to expeditiously attend to the genuine grievances of the state’s workforce so as to apprehend the ongoing strike.
“Your Excellency, as the father of the state, we request that you expeditiously attend to the foregoing genuine concerns and demands by workers in Cross River State. Your expeditious response will help to apprehend the ongoing strike action and the escalation of industrial unrest in Cross Rivers State which has built a reputation of industrial peace and harmony for many years now,” Comrade Wabba said.
The NLC reiterated the 14-point concerns and demands of the workers to include non-implementation of promotions to workers at both state and local government levels; non-payment of gratuities to both state and local government workers; non-remittance of deductions from workers’ salaries; failure to fully implement the national minimum wage to both state and local government workers; non-implementation of full 27.5% teachers enhancement allowance; stoppage of tax exemption and allowance for teachers and stoppage of annual incremental to both state and local government workers.
Other demands of the workers include return of payroll to both Accountant General and Ministry of Local Government Affairs for both state and local governments; payment of salaries to workers wrongfully removed from local government payroll by the Auditor General for local government; reinstatement of pensioners wrongfully removed from the payroll; lifting of ban on the collection of check-off dues from commercial drivers by NURTW and restoration of NURTW to motor parks in the state; immediate stoppage of deductions from workers’ salaries for the purchase of laptops and without workers’ consent; payment of hazard allowance for Medical and Health Workers and balance of 30% CONHESS; and inclusion of all staff employed but yet to be put in the payroll by the State.
The letter was submitted and acknowledged at the Cross River State Liaison Office, Abuja on Wednesday, October 13, 2013.
