The Nigerian Labour Congress, Akwa Ibom State chapter, has given the state government a 21-day ultimatum to resolve all pending labour grievances or risk industrial action. The NLC described the government as being insensitive to the plights of civil servants in the state and accused it of blackmailing the organised labour and stifling its economy as measures to thwart industrial actions.

The state executive council of all industrial unions, under the NLC, after its meeting on Friday in Uyo, accused the present administration of not recognising the existence of labour in the state. The state NLC Chairman, Mr. Etim Ukpong, said the meeting was necessitated by the state government’s unwillingness to address the backlog of workers’ grievances in the state for over six years.

He said, “The state government fails to take into account the plight and lamentation of workers, especially in the public sector and their dependants despite constant pleas and demands of labour, especially the NLC. “Rather than engage the leadership of organised labour collectively in dialogue and ensure a balance of interest, where the workers would not be short-changed, government has resorted to divide and rule tactics by trying to blackmail the labour movement, ignore the workers by hiding behind the economic leanness of the time.

“You would recall our persistent cries for the government to address workers’ plight such as payments of gratuities to local government retirees and workers living and dead since 2009, payment of leave grants to teachers, local government workers and workers in the parastatals, many of them dating back to 2012. harmonisation of retirees’ pensions in line with the law which stipulates upward review of pensions after five years, or whenever there was a new minimum wage in place.”

He listed other issues to include the release and implementation of promotions to civil servants, payment of promotion arrears, refund of 7.5 per cent deducted from workers’ salaries in the name of contributory pensions scheme, which was abrogated by the state House of Assembly two years ago, payment of salaries to teachers absorbed from taking over community schools since 2013, payment of salaries to civil servants, nurses, doctors, house officers and other health workers employed since 2014.

The NLC, in a communiqué released at the end of the meeting, also canvassed the recovery of over N1bn owed Akwa Ibom State indigenes by the Federal Government, which was removed from ALSCON in Ikot Abasi, recovery of primary schools counterpart funding from the Federal Government, payment of arrears of four months salaries to local government workers in Ikot Ekpene, two months salaries to workers in Abak, and a month arrears to workers in Ikono, Ini and Uruefong Oruko local government areas.

He said, “As we speak, nurses working in local governments are being owed the same arrears. Teachers employed and sent to junior secondary schools under State Universal Basic Education Board must be paid. The Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs had rejected them and asked them to go to state secondary education board. As I speak, they have not got December salary.”

http://www.punchng.com/pwd-decries-alleged-marginalisation-in-2016-budget/

Abagworo:

He listed other issues to include the release and implementation of promotions to civil servants, payment of promotion arrears, refund of 7.5 per cent deducted from workers’ salaries in the name of contributory pensions scheme, which was abrogated by the state House of Assembly two years ago, payment of salaries to teachers absorbed from taking over community schools since 2013, payment of salaries to civil servants, nurses, doctors, house officers and other health workers employed since 2014.
He said, “As we speak, nurses working in local governments are being owed the same arrears. Teachers employed and sent to junior secondary schools under State Universal Basic Education Board must be paid. The Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs had rejected them and asked them to go to state secondary education board. As I speak, they have not got December salary.”

http://www.punchng.com/pwd-decries-alleged-marginalisation-in-2016-budget/

Health workers not paid since 2014?

Udom is a "new breed politician" he may do something good to avert any industrial abi na labour action...

Lol

Useless OP

I pray udom do the right thing even though all the acclaimed grieviances by nlc are from the previous administration, I pray he address them widely n amicably.
also he shud send a bill to the state house to make local govt autonomous and scrapping of the joint account shit. let local govt manage thier account n revenues, enuf of all these rubbish by people thinking the state embezzle local govt funds.
by so doing no local govt council will speak ill n challenge the state govr over salaries n projects.
abasi adiong akwaibom state.

Udom aya udom

This is what happens when an individual is imposed on a state

yaki84:
I pray udom do the right thing even though all the acclaimed grieviances by nlc are from the previous administration, I pray he address them widely n amicably.
also he shud send a bill to the state house to make local govt autonomous and scrapping of the joint account shit. let local govt manage thier account n revenues, enuf of all these rubbish by people thinking the state embezzle local govt funds.
by so doing no local govt council will speak ill n challenge the state govr over salaries n projects.
abasi adiong akwaibom state.

Obviously most of the issues predate his elections but he has inherited them as part of burdens of leadership. Akwaibomites are quite patient IMHO.

Abagworo:


Health workers not paid since 2014?

And one would think owing workers salaries happen only in APC states.

Abagworo:


Obviously most of the issues predate his elections but he has inherited them as part of burdens of leadership. Akwaibomites are quite patient IMHO.

all those arrears n allowances n backlogs of salaries na from local govt employees. u know primary school now is the sole rwsponsibilities of local govt under subeb, secondary school teachers hv been paid till date, dont knw weada they hv collected their febuary salary. the problem is solely from the local govt, they interviewed the chair of all chairmen in d state n he said the problem predates back to the millitary era, that their predecessor inherited backlog of arrears n gratuities, so they came n py d ones they culd n also left some. n it will be mind boggling to tell u the corruption tthat is happ3ning in that tier of govt, my frnd said d uncle told her the corruption that directors pepertrate in thier commision. imagine a director establishing a full flesh school that is only on paper, collecting salaries n other entitlements from one ghost school. imagine if that school has abt 20 to 30 staffs..... so the issue was corruption not by politicians but these civil servants, n d govr just did aome biometric so much has been exposed.
I pray he handles d issue wisely.

Progressive01:
And one would think owing workers salaries happen only in APC states.

Its in most Apc states and they are supposed to be d progressives?

HIGHESTPOPORI:
Its in most Apc states and they are supposed to be d progressives?

Just imagine. This is why you people can NEVER be taken seriously. Lies, lies, lies, lies, and more lies. That is all you spread.

Where is your proof more APC states are owing??

Progressive01:
Just imagine. This is why you people can NEVER be taken seriously. Lies, lies, lies, lies, and more lies. That is all you spread.

Where is your proof more APC states are owing??

Which PDP state is worse than Osun and Imo?

HIGHESTPOPORI:
Which PDP state is worse than Osun and Imo?

Bayelsa is (PDP). Considering it's relatively smaller population and humongous federal allocations, here's what Dickson recently said:

http://www.bayelsa.gov.ng/gov-dickson-stops-borrowing-pay-salaries-says-bayelsans-should-prepare-tough-times

Bayelsa State Government has asked its workforce to brace up for the global economic challenge, as the practice of augmenting monthly salary with bank loans is not sustainable.

With a monthly wage bill of N4 billion for workers, coupled with the shortfall in the monthly allocation from the Federation Account of between N3 to N4 billion, the State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson said, it would be difficult for government to meet its financial obligation.

AshiwajuFoward:


Bayelsa is (PDP). Considering it's relatively smaller population and humongous federal allocations, here's what Dickson recently said:

http://www.bayelsa.gov.ng/gov-dickson-stops-borrowing-pay-salaries-says-bayelsans-should-prepare-tough-times

Bayelsa is stil comtemplating it,but Osun has stopped paying for more than 1yr now

HIGHESTPOPORI:
Bayelsa is stil comtemplating it,but Osun has stopped paying for more than 1yr now

Just admit the obvious bro. How could an Oil-rich state like Bayelsa be borrowing to pay salaries?? The state receives the FOURTH largest allocation from the Federal Govt , neither Imo nor Osun state are even in the top 10 list of federal allocation receipients. Upon all the Federal allocation and 13% derivation, you can't with a straight face compare Osun (which isn't an Oil producing state) or Imo which collects far less in allocation. It's inexcusable really. Bayelsa is broke and can no longer meet her financial obligations and salary payments which it had been borrowing heavily to pay and can no longer continue to do. So says the Governor himself. No sugarcoating can change that.

http://www.bayelsa.gov.ng/gov-dickson-stops-borrowing-pay-salaries-says-bayelsans-should-prepare-tough-times

Bayelsa State Government has asked its workforce to brace up for the global economic challenge, as the practice of augmenting monthly salary with bank loans is not sustainable.

AshiwajuFoward:


Just admit the obvious bro. How could an Oil-rich state like Bayelsa be borrowing to pay salaries?? The state receives the FOURTH largest allocation from the Federal Govt , neither Imo nor Osun state are even in the top 10 list of federal allocation receipients. Upon all the Federal allocation and 13% derivation, you can't with a straight face compare Osun (which isn't an Oil producing state) or Imo which collects far less in allocation. It's inexcusable really. Bayelsa is broke and can no longer meet her financial obligations and salary payments which it had been borrowing heavily to pay and can no longer continue to do. So says the Governor himself. No sugarcoating can change that.

http://www.bayelsa.gov.ng/gov-dickson-stops-borrowing-pay-salaries-says-bayelsans-should-prepare-tough-times

Osun should stop depending on Oil money,Bayelsa is stil paying,whether they borrow d money or not,Osun and Imo can't borrow again cos d Banks refused cos of their huge depts.

HIGHESTPOPORI:
Osun should stop depending on Oil money,Bayelsa is stil paying,whether they borrow d money or not,Osun and Imo can't borrow again cos d Banks refused cos of their huge depts.

If Imo owed up to this level, the State would have long been shut down and Okorocha wouldn't have even been re-elected. Imo people are impatient and very expressive.

AshiwajuFoward:


Just admit the obvious bro. How could an Oil-rich state like Bayelsa be borrowing to pay salaries?? The state receives the FOURTH largest allocation from the Federal Govt , neither Imo nor Osun state are even in the top 10 list of federal allocation receipients. Upon all the Federal allocation and 13% derivation, you can't with a straight face compare Osun (which isn't an Oil producing state) or Imo which collects far less in allocation. It's inexcusable really. Bayelsa is broke and can no longer meet her financial obligations and salary payments which it had been borrowing heavily to pay and can no longer continue to do. So says the Governor himself. No sugarcoating can change that.

http://www.bayelsa.gov.ng/gov-dickson-stops-borrowing-pay-salaries-says-bayelsans-should-prepare-tough-times

All the States in Nigeria have the problem. Forget about the politics being played there is no man earning 140k monthly whose pay is reduced to 30k that will survive without necessary adjustments.

HIGHESTPOPORI:
Osun should stop depending on Oil money,Bayelsa is stil paying,whether they borrow d money or not,Osun and Imo can't borrow again cos d Banks refused cos of their huge depts.

Gosh! If you honestly don't realize that Bayelsa is actually worse off than Osun then you're deluded because Bayelsa has ABSOLUTELY NO BUSINESS being in the RED financially to begin with! Osun can claim not to be Oil producing and also to receive an abysmally paltry federal allocation compared to Bayelsa, what is Baylsa's excuse please? I give up on you PDP supporters. Una no fit tell unasef the truth.

Abagworo:


All the States in Nigeria have the problem. Forget about the politics being played there is no man earning 140k monthly whose pay is reduced to 30k that will survive without necessary adjustments.

Exactly!