NLC VISIT: OTTI CONTEMPLATES PAYING N35,000 WAGE AWARD
REPORTER: PEACE AGBO
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abia State has appealed to Governor Alex Otti to implement the#35,000 wage bill award approved for workers by the Federal Government to help ameliorate hash economy ravaging the workers.
The Chairman, NLC Abia State Chapter, Comrade Ogbonnaya Okoro, made the appeal when he led the State Executives of the congress to pay a working visit to Governor Alex Otti.
Comrade Okoro further appealed to Governor Alex Otti to address the high-handedness of some government appointees against civil servants and offset arrears of salaries ranging from three to thirty months owed various categories of workers by the previous administration in the state.
The Abia NLC Chairman also drew the attention of the Governor to the verification issue that had denied some workers their salaries for about seven months and alleged victimization of workers by a flour mill operating in Aba, amongst other pressing issues.
The Labour Chairman, who urged Governor Otti to see Abia workers as integral part of his administration, commended the Governor for his numerous achievements in office, including keeping to his promise of paying salaries to Abia workers on 28th of every month.
Responding, Governor Otti said his administration was considering at the implementation of #35,000 wage award approved by the Federal Government for workers.
Governor Otti explained that a committee had been set up to that effect and had submitted its first report but directed the Committee to do more on the report and report back.
On the issue of biased salary structure for health workers in the state as it concerns the issue of consolidated health salary structure, CONHES, the Governor said he had directed the Commissioner for Finance to look into the matter.
He pledged look into arrears of salary owed Abia workers in various MDAs and parastatals including, ABSUTH, ASUBEB, ASCETA, Abiapoly, primary school teachers by the previous administration.
According to the Governor, a team is working with the Nigerian Union of Pensioners to reach a resolution on how to offset the arrears owed pensioners in the state but alleged there were still bad eggs in the system that engaged in padding of salaries and other vices.
He implored NLC to help identify such people who were stealing from the government.
EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU
