By Jonathan Ugbal, Government House Correspondent
The organized labor in Cross River state may embark on another strike beginning Friday, October 2, 2015 over non-payment of salaries and arrears as well as issues surrounding the almost 8billion Naira bailout funds.
The organized Labor, consisting of Nigeria Labor Congress and Trade Union Congress, action committee communicated this to its components in the public sector in two bulletins after its meeting on Monday, September 28, 2015.
The meeting resolved that the state government addresses issues surrounding payments of outstanding gratuities and pensions, promotion arrears, salary arrears to Local Government Council staff, CRUTECH and CONHESS adjustment to LGC health workers, deductions from salaries, release of imprest to MDA’s and promotion of civil servants as approved.
One of the bulletins states that the state received 7.856 billion Naira bailout funds for the payment of the issues earlier mentioned and stressed the state ensures compliance with the conditions for the disbursement with one been that “Labor must be in the committee” directing government staff to “stay at home from Friday, 2nd October, 2015 until you hear from us”.
In a related development, Labor leaders in the state today met with Governor Ben Ayade in a closed door meeting at the Exco hall of the governor’s office with the wife of the Deputy Governor, Omotunde Esu who is the Permanent Secretary, Local Government Affairs Ministry in attendance shortly after meeting with the Deputy Governor, Professor Ivara Esu.
Reliable sources say the Governor had no intention of meeting the Labor leaders until around 3pm Wednesday upon learning they were bent on forging ahead with the planned industrial action.
The meeting which ended around 4:30pm saw some Labor leaders shaking each other and smiling but were tight lipped on issues discussed.
Leave feedback about this