Following the approval of Governor Emeka Ihedioha for full payment of salaries to workers in Imo State, the labour union has expressed happiness over the development.
Ihedioha in line with his campaign promises had last week revealed plans to depart from the practice of the immediate past administration where Imo State Civil Servants got 70% of their salaries while pensioners managed a miserable 40%.
To strengthen the position of the new administration on the full salary payment, a circular bearing the directive from the state government has been issued for the payment with effect from June 2019.
Reacting on the matter when confronted, NLC state chairman for Imo State, Comrade Austin Chilakpu said that the Imo work force are happy over the development and associate the labour with the decision of Ihedioha.
According to Chilakpu, “the 100% payment is a welcome development the workers in the state appreciate.
However, Chilakpu frowned at the decision of the new administration to exclude labour officials from the special committee set up to review recent appointments and recruitments the immediate past government undertook after March 9, 2019 governorship election.
Ihedioha had on assumption of office raised a team to handle the association, but labour disclosed that it was wrong not to have a union official in the team.
“It was wrong of the state government to raise such committee without NLC, you can’t shave ones head in absence. We had expected an inclusion in the committee, at least a member representing the work force”
Speaking further, Chilakpu stated that the Imo State chapter of the NLC will not recognize the committee because of non appointment of a labour official. “We should have been there to protect our workers and know how any decision taken was reached”, he added.
The NLC chairman also expressed reservation over the manner the state government is handling the Adapalm issue adding that it was wrong to shut down the all important downstream sector.
Chilakpu advised the state government to re-open Adapalm and appoint the most senior government employee to head the outfit.
“We expect government to open the place and appoint the most senior official as head of administration. That is the right thing to be done than close it down”.
Meanwhile, the Agriculture and Allied Employees Union of Nigeria, (AAEUN) an affiliate of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC has drawn the attention of the state government through the secretary of the state government, SSG, the desire to appoint the most senior staff of the management of Imo Palm Plantation to take over the affairs and bring normalcy to the organization as well as create industrial harmony.
As statement signed by Comrades Paul Nwankwo and Gordon Osagie, State Chairman and Secretary respectively, stated that the AAEUN is unhappy that the SSG has been holding meetings with group of people in the guise of landlords and youths without the presence of any workers’ representatives.
The workers union warned against the consequences of such an action by expressing that it will bring about poaching and vandalization of the place.
