WORKERS BEMOAN CONDITION OF SERVICE AS THEY CALL FOR PAY RISE

As Nigeria joins the rest of the World to mark May Day celebration, workers in Abia State have appealed to government to look into their salaries with a view to offsetting arrears of salaries owed them as well as increment. The workers, who made their feelings known while interacting with Radio Nigeria reporter, Lawrence Nwokedi, described the current salary as not only poorly implemented but meager.

Also in Imo State, a cross section of workers has appealed to the State Government to prioritize the payment of salaries to save them from further hardship. In an interview with Correspondent Chinazo Ilechukwu, the workers lamented that the situation where members of staff of various government departments and agencies were owed up to twenty months arrears of salaries was unacceptable to them.

They also condemned the statement’s policy of paying workers seventy and eighty percent of their salaries at the end of the month, noting that the system had worsened their condition. The workers also called for an upward review of the National Minimum wage to enable them to grapple with the economic realities in the country.

Meanwhile, the Chairman, Trade Union Congress of Nigerian, Enugu State Council Comrade Igbokwe Chukwuma Igbokwe, says Public and Civil Servants across the country will not decline on the demand for salary increase especially now the citizens are going through hardship.

Comrade Igbokwestated this in Enugu, on the occasion to mark International Workers Day.  International workers Day also known as May Day or Labour Day was designed to celebrate Laborers and working class personnel who have contributed immensely to national development.

To this end, as Nigeria joins the global community to commemorate the day, what is the fate of Nigeria workers after much agitation for improved remuneration and welfare package; Comrade Igbokwe noted that before the recession civil servants had been agitating for increased salary structure to enable the Nigeria worker to maintain a comfortable and secured future.

Comrade Igbokwe while highlighting the relevance of this year’s theme, “Fighting Inequality with a focus on Workers’ Rights,” described Government action towards the plights of workers as a nonchalant attitude of reducing efficiency and productivity in the civil service.

The Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress Enugu State Council, Comrade Virginus Nwobodo observed that the workers who are the pillars of every government have been relegated to the background.

LAWRENCE NWOKEDI, CHINAZO ILECHUKWU&EVELYN AWUNOR