Imo NLC inaugurates 6-man committee over 2, 000 sacked LG workers

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has set-up a six-man committee to review the plan by the Imo state government to sack more than 2,000 local government workers. The state chairman of the NLC, Mr. Austin Chilakpu, who made the disclosure on Thursday in Owerri, said the setting up of the committee followed the recent meeting held between organized labour and government.

“The six-man review committee would comprise of two persons each from the three senatorial zones of Orlu, Owerri and Okigwe and they have three weeks to submit their report,” the chairman said.

Chilakpu further stated that the inauguration of the committee became necessary after labour told government that the suspension or sack of the affected workers did not follow due process.

The NLC boss used the medium to appeal to state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, to shift ground on his recent position that government would suspend further payment of monthly pension to Imo pensioners pending the out-come of the court action they filed.

Daily Times recalled that the Nigerian Union of Pensioners I.mo State branch on April 4, 2017 dragged the state government to National Industrial Court Owerri division over pension related matters He maintained that since there is no court order restraining the governor from further payment to pensioners, saying it would wrong for the governor to take such stand.

“As we speak, Imo NLC is not aware of any court order directing the state government to suspend payment to Imo pensioners, it will be an unfair treatment to the senior citizens for the governor to suspend them pension simply because the union went to court.”

Chilakpu, who quoted Okorocha as saying that the state government had yet to receive her share of the Paris Club refund, noted that the same governor was equally quoted as saying that the state only got N13 billion of the refund.

“Because of this jumbo money, the organized labour had notified the state government that henceforth, her workers would no longer accept 80 percent salary payment which was the situation when things were extremely difficult.

“Labour formerly notified Imo state government during our recent meeting that henceforth, nothing less than 100 percent salary should be paid to Imo government workers at the end of every month.

“The understanding we had with government that led to percentage slash in the salary paid Imo workers was due to the economic recession which was biting harder then.

“The agreement was that the moment things improve, government should return to 100 percent salary payment and now NLC is calling on government to end the era of salary slashing to workers.

“The Imo organized labour is fully informed that Imo like other states across the federal recently received Paris Fund Refund in addition to the significant improvement in the price of crude oil sales,” te labour leader said.