From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Organised Labour in Cross River State has insisted that Governor Ben Ayade must clear about N17 billion gratuity owed workers by the administration before they can call off the strike.
Organised labour, including Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) and the Joint Public Negotiations Council, had embarked on an indefinite industrial action on October 11 over refusal of the government to adhere to 14-point demand of the unions, including implementation of promotions to both state and local government workers, none remittance of deductions from workers’ salaries and full implementation of minimum wage to both state and local government workers. Other demands include the non-implementation of 27.5 percent teachers enhancement allowance, stoppage of tax exemption and allowance for teachers, payment of hazard allowances for medical and health workers and inclusion of all staff employed by the state.
However, barley three weeks into the strike, the leaders have maintained they are not prepared to back down on their demands as the current administration incurred 85 percent of outstanding arrears.
In Bulletin 14 issued by the Action Committee, the labour leaders reeled out amount owed retirees.
According to the bulletin, “the present administration incurred 85 percent of outstanding arrears and by 2023, about 70 percent of the current workforce would have retired. If the government of Ayade does not pay, who shall bear this liability in the future?
“The previous government paid gratuity up to June 2013. Is it a crime to have given 35/40 years of our active lives to the service of the state? Our retirees are dying.”
Last week, NLC Chairman, Ben Ukpebi, hadsaid previous memorandum of understandings have failed and so they are not ready to be taken for granted for the umpteenth time.According to him, even the government threat to sack them would not break their resolve to continue to fight for the interest of their colleagues.