By Michael Oche
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has said it will mobilize its members to withdraw their services and cooperation with the Abia State Government in the next 14 days until the arrears of unpaid salaries and pension benefits of Abia State workers and pensioners, respectively, are fully offset.
The ultimatum was contained in a letter by the NLC president, Comrade Joe Ajaero and addressed to the Abia state governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu
In the letter, the NLC president also noted that the state government is yet to commence payment of the N30,000 national minimum wage despite the State being an Oil Producing State with additional revenue from the national coffers.
“The list of infractions against workers in Abia State goes on and on,” he said.
He alleged that Local Government Employees in the state are owed 3 months salaries, while Staff of ABSUTH are owed 23 months’ salary arrears. Others include, Secondary School Teachers owed 11 months of salaries, while Primary School Teachers are owed 3 months’ salary.
The NLC president also said Pensioners in Abia State are yet to be paid 30 months’ pension benefits while workers in Abia State Polytechnic are owed 30 months’ salary arrears; Workers in Abia State College of Education — 29 months’ salary. Workers in Abia State College of Health Sciences — 5 months.
He said, “We write this as a follow up to the recent declaration by the Nigeria Labour Congress of a trade dispute with the Abia State Government, a decision that was communicated to the Abia State Government vide our last letter dated 23″! December 2022.
“Pursuant to the declaration of a trade dispute with the Abia State Government, we write to notify the Abia State Government that workers in Abia State will withdraw their services and cooperation with the Abia State Government until the following arrears of unpaid salaries and pension benefits of Abia State workers and pensioners, respectively, are fully offset.
“We wish to communicate very clearly that if these industrial infractions against workers are not addressed and redressed in the next 14 days, we will have no option than to mobilise workers all over Nigeria to stage the mother of all protest in Abia State.”
