Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
Organised Labour in Kogi State under the auspices of Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) has pleaded with the Kogi State Government to un-proscribe union activities in the state’s tertiary institutions so as to foster a healthy labour-government relationship.
The state government had about four years ago banned the activities of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the Kogi State University, Ayingba and that of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic ( ASUP) at the state Polytechnic, Lokoja and other affiliated unions for what it called “their antagonistic attitude”.
But labour has pushed back on the continuous ban of the unions, saying that rather than bringing peace to the affected institutions as government claims, it has generated more suspicion between government and labour as the ban impinges on the rights of members to freely associate.
Labour added that any attempt to shortchange workers through percentage payment in their April salaries, as it is being rumoured, will be strongly rejected.
NLC state chairman Onuh Edoka, while addressing reporters at the weekend on the occasion marking this year’s workers’ day, said the plea has become necessary as workers have become more agitated over rumours that the state government was not prepared to pay their full salaries in spite of the huge allocation that recently came to the state.
Labour said that regardless of the state government commendably fulfilling regular payment of salaries to workers since the beginning of this year, it will not accept anything less, saying workers are currently facing hardships over the national coronavirus lockdown.
Labour also called on the state government to start the implementation of the ₦30,000 minimum wage to workers in the state, saying the committee set up by the government for the purpose has elapsed the time frame allotted to it.
The NLC state chairman also called on the state government to look at the plight of some workers at the local government and primary schools levels who have been thrown out of their jobs due to the last prolonged screening exercise, stressing that these categories of workers and their families are now facing severe hardship.
It also appealed to the state government to employ fresh hands to fill the vacancies in the state civil service, saying that most of the civil servants who came from the old Benue and Kwara States after the creation of the state in 1991 have retired from service.
Labour further called on the state government to desist from policies that are inimical to the growth of the state civil service such as reappointing top civil servants who had already retired into key positions that are naturally meant to be occupied by serving civil servants.
The union urged workers in the state to stay safe and abide by medical advice given by experts on the COVID-19.