The Cross River branch of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has charged the state governor, Senator Bassey Otu, to commence implementation of 2013 retirees’ gratuities and without further delay begin payment of N30,000 minimum wage as stated by the law.
State chairman of NLC, Comrade Gregory Olayi, gave the charge during a chat with journalists at NLC secretariat in Clabar on Wednesday.
Speaking on the topic, “Tackling the Crises of Survival and Mounting Destitution in The Land”, Olayi stated that it was unfortunate that people can put in all their best to serve meritoriously for 35 years only to be left to wallow in abject poverty with no gratuity.
“We urge the state government to rise up to the occasion. We are therefore requesting the state governor to do the needful by paying the minimum wage.
“We acknowledged that the state government has paid palliative money but yet to pay minimum wage,” Olayi maintained.
Another issue, which the labour leaders frowned at in the media chat, included the non-implementation of workers’ promotion to enable the workers put in their best in the discharge of their duties.
“In the last nine years, the state government has failed to pay or implement promotion, especially that of local government workers.
“We will not hesitate to call out our members to the streets should the state government fail to do so,” he warned.
The NLC chairman also urged the state government to ask those who had concluded their years of service but bluntly refused to quit in order to pave the way for those whose ranks are closed to theirs to take a bow from the service.
