NLC, TUC call on C’River Gov’t to reinstate delisted 2,500 Workers

By Frankie Ifop

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have called on Cross River State Government to immediately return the names of 2,500 sacked Workers to it payroll.

The organised labour made this known in a Communiqué issued after a meeting that was held on Friday, September 25, 2020 at the Comrade John O. Ushie Solidarity Centre in Calabar.

In the Communiqué, signed by Comr. Ben Ukpepi, Chairman, NLC and Comr. Monday, U. Ogbodium, Chairman, TUC, the organised Labour also call on the State Government to pay pension and gratuity to retirees, restore the Salary structures of the State College of Health Technology, return the various Motor Parks to the management of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), etc.

After exhaustive deliberations at the meeting, the Joint Leadership resolved as follows:

READ ALSO: Cross River Community abolishes Money Marriage

1. The Joint Leadership regretted the misunderstanding between the Labour Centres in recent past. This misunderstanding, it viewed has impacted negatively on the organised Labour Community in the State which has in turn affected the Welfare of Workers. The Joint Leadership hereby agreed to work together harmoniously, henceforth, on all issues affecting Cross River State Workers.

2. The organised Labour views with regret the avoidable unrest by a group of workers that were illegally delisted from the State Payroll without following any form of due process since September, 2019. The organised Labour hereby calls on the Government to immediately return the names of these Workers to the Payroll. It further calls on the Government to tow the part of honour and integrity by keeping to terms of agreement reached with the organised Labour, one of which is the restoration of the names delisted from the Payroll.

3. The organised Labour, once again frowns seriously at the total abandonment of the Payment of gratuity to our Retirees. This non Payment of gratuity, which has piled up since February, 2014, must be given immediate attention. The meeting also deliberated on how Cross River State Retirees are being treated both at the State and Local Government levels in the name of pension verification. The organised labour hereby calls on the State Government to put on immediate stop to the untold hardship that is caused our retirees and further calls on both State and Local Government Pension Authorities to immediately clear the backlog of Pension that has accumulated for about four months.

READ ALSO: Nigeria at 60: Diamond in the rough

4. The organised labour, after deliberation calls on the State Government to immediately restore the Salary structures of the State College of Health Technology, as this is the only Health Education Body that trains people to take care of the citizens at the primary Health care level. This must be done to enable the College gets accreditation from its National Body.

5. The organised Labour also urged the State and Local Government to return the various Motor Parks to the management of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). This, the Labour agrees, will bring, more sanity to the various Motor Parks in the State.

6. The Organised Labour calls on the State Government to as a matter of urgency release Check-off dues and other deductions make on Workers’ Salaries. This is to enable Workers off-set their obligations to financial institutions.

7. The organised Labour calls on the State Government to restore the Weigh-in allowance to our members working in the Media Sector, particularly Television, Radio and Paper Printing Workers in the State.

8. The State Leadership of NLC hereby welcomes our brothers from the erstwhile United Labour Congress (ULC) who were integrated into NLC today. The entire Labour Community sees this as very welcoming and good for the struggle for Workers’ Welfare.

9. The organised Labour also calls on the State Government to Pay up the balance of 30% of the CONHEES which was agreed upon.

10. The issue of promotion implementing was also extensively deliberated upon. The organised Labour calls on the Government to immediately commence to the implementations of promotion to Workers.

11. The organised Labour calls on the Workers in the State not to loose faith in the struggle, as it pledges to commit every effort to see that Workers, plights and Welfare are taken seriously by the Government. This, it promises to achieves through every available means within the ambit of the laws. We must continue to keep faith in the struggle.