Cross River Workers Down Tools Over Unpaid Salaries

Cross River state workers have put the state government on notice on their intention to commence indefinite strike following government failure to meet their demands.

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The workers have demanded that state government offset salaries of local government staff, staff of Cross River University of Technology, teachers and other salaries and allowances.

They had expected the state government to pay them from the bailout fund release by the federal government to cushion the effect of the dwindling revenue from federation account following drop in petrodollar.

The organised labour action committee said it was shocked that the government made them to understand that bailout fund was meant to offset loans acquired, The Nation reports.

The labour bulletin being circulated among workers read in part: “Labour says bailout funds are meant for payment of salary arrears, outstanding gratuities/pension and deduction from salaries.Comrades this is our stand, our demand is that the government offsets all these payments if not please sat at home from October 2, 2015.

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“MDAs are grounded, no activity, no funding. One man show, no exco. Boards, commissions and agencies not formed. Promotion of civil servants stalled. Salaries paid in parts, no release of deductions from salaries. Civil servants are made bad debtors to banks and loan vendors. All we hear is noise and sirens. Comrades, we are tired of waiting.”

According to the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress,Comrade John Ushie, who had earlier held a meeting with Governor Ben Ayade that was said to be stalemated stated the governor failed to address the issues raised by the workers until the workers decided to down tools.

Ushie said:“The strike is organized by the joint council, but as affiliates we are giving them the covering fire, so we just came out from a meeting with the government of Cross River State. We met with the deputy governor and it was smooth and it was going well in the way of negotiations and he pleaded we should meet with the governor.

“We waited for a long time and when he came and met us he expressed disappointment because he said he has done a lot for Cross River and thought the workers would appreciate that but we did not. We let him understand that it was not true that workers don’t appreciate that he has paid salaries and paid net, because salaries are based on gross. But this other ones remaining are statutory. So if they are statutory and they are made from salaries, there is a need to remit that.

“So check off dues should go to the union, loans from bank go the bank, then the computer scheme should to the company that supplied the computer, because Labour had given an approval to that in conjunction with government. So if government now sureties us and we now surety our workers, that money should go to where we they are supposed to go, otherwise, it would amount to double deductions.

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“We also let them know things are difficult for workers. Workers are getting loans from banks. That is how they are managing to survive, because the salaries we collect today in the service cannot take us.

“Therefore these workers access loans from the bank and for the fact that the state government has refused to remit loans that were deducted from them to the banks; the bank has refused to give them loans. Many of them have come to my office to cry. So we appeal to the government to release what is due the workers. That is not government money. It is the money of the workers. That is what we are asking for. It is not something new.

“We as workers of Cross River State appreciate the government. We are ready to cooperate as Labour, but that we are ready to cooperate does not erase the fact that what is supposed to be done right is not done and we keep quiet. It is not an issue of getting offended that we did not appreciate him, the truth is that there is disconnect, no communication. We have sought audience severally with the governor to no avail. Since he assumed office this is the first time we are meeting. And if it was not because of the strike action, we would not have been able to meet with him.”

In a separate development, Governor Ayade had, however, said that nominees for appointments as commissioners in the state are to undergo a compulsory aptitude test before confirmation.

He stated that he had already up a selection committee to oversee the process.

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Cross River Workers Down Tools Over Unpaid Salaries