Except the Imo State government steps up process of payment of workers’ salaries in the state, the May Day celebration of 2015 in the state may lose its glamour as workers plan boycott.
Civil servants in the state have been lamenting over few months salaries owed them by the state government as well as non-fulfilment of some welfare packages promised Imo workers in the past by the Rescue Mission government.
Discussions are on among labour leaders in the state who are reported to be fine-tuning strategies on how to ensure their owed salaries are paid.
A labour leader disclosed to Trumpeta that workers may likely keep away from the Workers’ Day if salaries were not paid before Friday.
Efforts to reach any official of the state NLC proved abortive as they were said to be in a meeting handling issues related to the outcome of the recent elections.
Meanwhile, fresh war is said to have begun between Imo governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and State Assembly Members over unpaid salaries and allowances.
A source disclosed that the lawmakers are yet to receive their two months salaries and this has kept them unhappy.
One of the Members who spoke under strict anonymity to our reporter explained that things are now very rough with them financially adding that Governor Okorocha has disappointed them by not living up to expectations in terms of regular payments of salaries and allowances of House officials.
In a related development, civil servants and pensioners are also grumbling over non-payment of their monies. Trumpeta gathered that the civil servants in Imo including pensioners are in difficult situation and may go on demonstration if nothing is done to settle them.
The new labour executive according to source is not impressed with the development and is making effort to resolve the matter before it escalates.
Information reaching this newspaper revealed that Imo workers are owed up to two (2) months salaries including those who have retired from service.
Investigation revealed that only last week, the state government managed to pay in little amount of money in the accounts of some of designated banks and those who were fast enough got some money before the amount disbursed was exhausted.
It could be recalled that Imo workers before the elections complained bitterly on the unpaid salaries and allowances.
Trumpeta also learnt that the state allocation has drastically reduced coupled with the inability of workers to generate enough revenue for their payment which is now causing a big problem for the state. The situation on ground, it is gathered, may force Governor Okorocha to reduce the work force of the state service.
