Imo workers cry out over unpaid 3 month salaries
Organised labour in Imo state has appealed to the state Governor Hope Uzodinma to pay their three months outstanding salaries owed them by the state government to end their sufferings.
They stated that the effects of the partial lockdown of the state occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic had worsened their plight.
The organized labour made the appeal during the celebration of this year’s Workers Day in Owerri at the weekend, lamenting that despite the directive by the state governor for their salaries to be paid before the end of every month, some state civil servants are yet to receive their January salaries while the entire workforce have not received February to April salaries.
An address presented by the state Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Austin Chilakpu, the organised labour disclosed that workers in 19 parastatals and agencies were yet to be paid salaries.
Chilakpu listed the affected agencies where workers were owed three months’ salary arrears to include Imo Broadcasting Corporation (IBC), Agriculture Development Programme (ADP), Imo state Water Corporation, Imo state Poverty Alleviation Bureau, primary and secondary school teachers.
Others are Imo dtate University, Imo state Polytechnic, Imo state Library Board, Imo state Universal Basic Education Board, Imo state Secondary Education Board and Imo Tourism Board amongst others.
Chilakpu therefore, called on Governor Uzodimma to direct the office of the accountant general for the immediate release of the salaries of workers in the affected agencies and institutions.
He added that the governor should direct the immediate payment of the April, 2020 to workers in the state to enable them cushion the effects of the continued lockdown.
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Chilakpu also reminded Governor Uzodimma that workers in various agencies were owed promotion arrears from 2014 till date.
This he said, had been one of the contentious issues between the organised labour and previous administrations, calling on the governor to direct the agencies and institutions concerned to pay the workers their deserved promotion arrears.
The organised labour also lamented the withholding of check-off dues belonging to industrial unions by the state government to the tune of 46 months by some parastatals, saying that the non-payment of check-off dues was affecting industrial unions.
Chilakpu used the opportunity to appeal to Governor Uzodimma to direct the accountant general to release the withheld check-off dues to the unions to enable the concerned unions to remit to their respective national headquarters.
