Cross River labour suspends 31-day-old strike

The Organised Labour groups in Cross River State have suspended the 31-day old strike, on Thursday.

The suspension which was collectively endorsed by the NLC, TUC and JNC was announced at a press briefing in Calabar.

Addressing journalists at the state Secretariat of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria ASCSN/TUC, the Chairman Of Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, JNC, Comrade Godwin Otei, stated that they had looked at the situation of things in the state and decided to suspend the strike due to the meeting they had with the Traditional Rulers Council TRC, who stood for peace between the organised labour and the state government and reached an agreement in favour of Cross Riverians.

“We have never had it this bad. We were expecting a better Cross River handed over by the previous government instead it got worse, every aspect of the lives of Cross Riverians were affected, everything depreciated.

“The hope of retirees and their gratuity became an illusion We as Civil Servants are seen as pariah, once you want to get a facility from the bank and they ask you where you work, if you mentioned civil servant, you can never get the loan, yet we are buying planes, travelling around the world and now we are planning to buy ships.

“Well, we have agreed to wait for another five months to see if the government will fulfil all we have agreed, and we did this in the interest of the people, this will go down as one of the longest strikes in the history of our dear state, as we stayed home for about 31 days,” Otei said.

Also speaking, the state NLC Chairman Comrade John Ukpebi, who announced the suspension of the strike, said they had not called off the industrial action, but only suspended it for five months, expecting the government to fulfil its part.

“There have been grievances upon grievances, this is one of the longest strikes in the history of the state, and this was because of government insensitivity.

“Following the agreement reached with the government, through the mediation of the state Traditional Ruler’s Council, led by HRM Etim Okon Edet, the strike is hereby suspended forthwith.

“The action committee, on behalf of the leadership, sincerely appreciates your doggedness and solidarity throughout the period of the action.

“This is just a suspension and not a call off, we are going to hold on and watch what the government will do between now and five months to see if they are sincere,” he said.

In his comments, TUC Chairman, Comrade Monday Ogbodum, said that they had to come to a compromise due to the meeting with TRC and in all sincerity, they had so much respect for the institution, they had to suspend the strike.

“We have extracted various commitments from the government, while they have started implementing some of them already, on issues of implementation of arrears they have started from September.

“We have also extracted a commitment from the government, that from January 1 2022, the 1,800 persons whose names were removed from the payroll will be returned.

“More so, the government has also agreed to be keeping 50 million naira monthly for the purpose of gratuity amongst other commitments we have extracted from them.

“Just like NLC and JNC Chairmen have stated, we are not calling off the action, it’s just a suspension and we shall keep faith with the government for 5 months to see if they are sincere,” he reiterated.

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Cross River labour suspends 31-day old strike