Member of organised Labour protesting the threat by Governor Rochas Okorocha to sack
about 5,000 workers from the civil service yesterday shut down Owerri, the Imo
State capital.
The
protesting workers, joined by the national officers of Nigeria Labour Congress
(NLC), members of industrial unions from South-East and South-South in
solidarity, caused traffic jam as they marched round major roads of Owerri
metropolis, displaying placards with various inscriptions such as “we cannot
be intimidated by Okorocha, enough is enough, let Imo workers be and salary is
our right not privilege.”
During
the 2016 budget presentation to the House of Assembly, Governor Okorocha
announced that the government had concluded plans to disengage about 5,000
workers to reduce the wage bill of the government.
However,
addressing the National President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba, and his entourage at the
Government House, Okorocha said he appreciated the concern of the leaders of
the NLC,but that the labour leaders were obviously misinformed about the
conditions of the workers.
The
governor said: “I appreciate the concern of the national leaders of the NLC,
but you must have been misinformed about the situation in Imo State because
this government is anchored on the welfare of the people.
“I
am the first governor in the entire country to pay workers N20,000 minimum
wage when others are paying N18,000 and I have paid workers on the 18th of
every month in the past four years but the labour leaders last year
instigated workers to embark on strike when the government owed them just one
month which was really unnecessary.”
Okorocha
accused the workers of not only being ungrateful but acted as opposition
members and not partners with the state government, insisting that no worker
is owed salary except workers of Adapalm because of issues arising from their
employment which the state government is trying to resolve.
He
further noted that the state Chairman of NLC, Austin Chilakpu, instead of
working closely with the government has been instigating the workers.
Speaking
earlier, Wabba said the NLC was in the state to intervene in the situation.
Source: The Sun
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