NLC and its catalogue of demands in Bayelsa
.Demands
payment of salary arrears in Bayelsa
.Calls
for implementation of promotion, annual incremental steps
 |
| Comrade John Bipre Ndiomu. State Chairman, NLC |
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| Rear Admiral John Jonah |
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| Governor Henry Seriake Dickson |
The group also jointly called on the state
government to commence without further delay implementation of incremental
annual steps which was stop since 2013 under the present administration,
describing the act as against the civil service rules as practice in Nigeria.
The call was contained in the keynote
address jointly presented by NLC and TUC recently to mark the 2018 Workers Day
Celebration at Peace Park in Yenagoa, read by the Nigeria Labour Congress State
Chairman, Comrade John Bipre Ndiomu.
Also speaking on condition of anonymity, a
cross-section of the workforce in the state who spoke to Global Overseer
described the delay to implement incremental annual steps since 2013 as
unconstitutional, unfair, oppressive and a ploy to under develop the workers in
the state. The workers wondered why only Bayelsa state government would come up
with such policies describing it as uncalled for.
They lamented that since 2013 under the
present administration, workers have been denied of their right to have access
to huge sum of their lawful money which would have help them to meet up some of
their financial challenges and called for change of heart.
They also called on the state government to
commence payment of promotion arrears which they said is right in the civil
service which the present administration has been deliberating delaying to
implement.
According to them what workers in the state
are passing through as aforementioned has not been practice in other states of
the federation and therefore call for immediate implementation henceforth to
give workers in the state a sense of belonging.
The Nigeria Labour Congress in the state also
demanded from the state government to ensure that the ongoing civil service
reform in the state intended to reposition the public service for better productivity
is carried out in line with the public service rules.
Labour asserted emphatically, enjoining the
state government not to terminate any worker wrongly placed at their points of
engagement. Rather, the grade levels of such staff should be corrected and
properly placed, adding that the reforms should be handled with utmost care.
The labour body in the state under the
visionary and pragmatic leadership of comrade Ndiomu further appealed to the
state government to give further directive to pay workers salaries affected by
the redeployment exercise to strengthen government workers relationship.
He called on the state government to fund
the public service training institute to carry out programme in the civil
service to train and retraining of civil servants in the state year-in, year out,
stressing that the gesture would show its
importance as the civil service remains the life wire of government policy
drive.
The Nigeria Labour Congress while commending
the state government for setting up of a committee to revisit teachers that
were wrongly retired as a result of physical verification exercise with a view
to recalling the affected teachers, pleaded for release of January and February
salaries of genuine staff. The body also appealed for release of February and
March check-off dues from SUBEB, pointing out that it is illegal to with hold
check off due as the money belongs to the workers.
Comrade Ndiomu further appealed to the state
government to pay the 18% minimum wage salary arrears to teachers and also to
direct local government councils in the state to absorb teachers who have been
cleared by the judicial panel of enquiry set up by the state government as
councils refused to pay the affected teachers.
Other demands by labour from the Bayelsa State
government include payment of weigh-in allowances owed media workers in the
state, payment of gratuity and death benefits to the affected persons,
provision of infrastructure and to also ensure full accreditation and
affiliation for Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education Sagbama, provision of
infrastructure and ensure accreditation of programme at College of Health
Technology Otuogidi to attract enrolment from other states as well as to
constitute and inaugurate the governing council of the International Institute
of Tourism and Hospitality among others.
Ndiomu on behalf labour commended the state
governor, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson for performing the foundation laying
ceremony for the Labour House in the state, describing the gesture as a clear
manifestation of the love he had for the workforce in the state and his burning
desire to improve on the working condition of the entire civil servants.
The Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Rear
Admiral John Jonah, who represented his boss, Governor Seriake Dickson,
commended the state workforce for their understanding during the trying times
of recession, noting that the ongoing reforms and other policies are to improve
the welfare of workers.
He reaffirmed the state
government earlier pledge to pay two months’ salary arrears which was not
feasible, explaining that the finances
of the state is yet to stabilize citing the recent shortfall of N700million in
the monthly allocation, saying that the present administration will continue to
give priority to workers welfare.
The
deputy Governor thanked the leadership of the organized labour in the state for
their continuing support and solidarity and urged them to sustain the
productive partnership.
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