C/River workers at loggerheads with govt over salaries, pensions

Civil servants in Cross River State are currently at loggerheads with the state governor, Professor Ben Ayade. They are furious over his alleged refusal to pay promotion arrears, pension and gratuities which have lingered for so long. Their grouse is that the governor has reneged on an earlier agreement reached with labour to clear backlog of promotion arrears, pension and gratuity.

They are also not happy about the plight of retired workers in the state who have been subjected to untold hardship. They are particularly angry that despite the bailout funds and Paris funds, issues’ affecting the welfare of workers has remained unresolved. The civil servants, who are currently on strike, have vowed not to return to work until the state government accedes to their demands.

Some civil servants, who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune on condition of anonymity, called on the governor to expedite action on the payment of promotion arrears, pension and gratuity so that workers will return to work.

One of them said, “Every state was given bailout and Paris funds which was supposed to be used for payment of arrears of salaries, pension and gratuity but I wonder why those issues have not been resolved, despite these huge sums of money received.

“There are so many retirees who have died without their pension and gratuity and I think it is time we hold this government accountable for all the misfortune that has befallen retirees.

“Everybody will retire one day and in solidarity with retirees we embarked on this strike and we will not resume work until the state government implements our demands”

Also, the Chairman of  the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state, Comrade Clarkson Out, in a chat with the Nigerian Tribune, said that workers would not shift grounds until the state government accedes to its demands, stressing that workers would not succumb to the no-work-no pays threat of the governor.

He said the state government during a recent meeting with the organized labour, had agreed to resolve issues of promotion and non -payment of pension and gratuity but that it has reneged on that agreement.