Judex Okoro, Calabar
The Cross River State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has vowed to go ahead with an indefinite strike beginning from tomorrow.
The union claimed that the state government had not shown seriousness with demands made by labour. State Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Ben Ukpepi, who disclosed this during an interaction with journalists at the weekend in Calabar, said it is obvious to all that the Cross River State government does not take the welfare of its workers seriously.
“All the plethora of workers’ issues presented to the government have been neglected and left unattended to. Recall also that some issues which the organised labour entered into an agreement with the government were abandoned and rejected by the government and no effort has been made in that direction,” Ukpepi said.
He listed some of the issues to include outstanding gratuities from 2014, non-implementation of promotions, return of names illegally removed from the payroll and immediate return of weigh-in allowance.
He advised workers to stay at home from tomorrow until government responds to all lingering issues raised by labour, adding that the injunction secured by the government against the strike is aimed at buying time.
However, the Cross River State Chapter of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, which dissociated itself from the planned strike said the time is not auspicious.
Speaking in Calabar, the Vice Chairman of the TUC, Comrade Gabriel Effiong, maintained that the government is addressing the issues, which prompted the planned action. He added that COVID-19 pandemic has also made it inauspicious to embark on an industrial action.
