PATRICK ABANG, Calabar –
Organized labour in Cross River State on Thursday said there is no going back on the ongoing industrial action in the state unless Governor Ben Ayade meets their demands.
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According to the organized Labour, the state’s government has agreed on eight items out of seventeen items.
Addressing comrades in Calabar on Thursday, the NLC Chairman in the state, Comrade Ben Ukpebi said, “Congratulations to all comrades for a unified Labour. Starting with the issue of gratuity, let us allow the government to start first, since they have announced a plan to make available, 30 to 50 million sinking funds, for the payment of gratuities. Since September, government has started implementation of promotions, for us to push it to that level, it is a good negotiation”.
“On Inclusion of workers on the payroll, I have done so much on this issue and I can never give up on it. For the December salary, you will get yourself on the payroll. We have not singed any MOU so far, we only came to report to our comrades on our negotiations so far.” He said
Reacting, majority of the labour members insisted that the industrial action must continue until the state government meets the labour’s demands.
They noted that the government has failed them and that they must see to it that the governor meets their demands.
Comrade Ukpebi, however, pleaded with labour saying, “we have heard your pain and we feel ur pulse.
Also speaking, the TUC chairman, Comrade Monday Ogbod, said, “we are simply going to report back to the government.” He said.
According to Labour report, their negotiations with the government has showed green light on eight items out of the (17) seventeen Items presented.
The items attempted based on negotiations include; lift of ban on the collection of check off dues for commercial drivers by NURTW and return of NURTW in the state to motor Parks, reinstatement of pensioners wrongly removed from the payroll, payment of salaries to local government workers wrongfully removed for LGA payroll, by LGA auditor generals, return of payroll to both accountant general and Ministry of Local Government Affairs, to state and local governments respectively, non remittances of deductions from workers salaries, non payment of gratuities to both state and local government workers and non implementation of promotions to both state and local government workers.
It is still unclear when the strike will be called off as the organized Labour seems adamant.
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