Strike: "We Have Met Your Demands", C'River Govt Insists, Chides Labour For Failing To Attend Meeting

Prof. Ivara Esu

 

The Cross River state government has faulted Organised Labour's insistence on industrial action despite meeting their demands.

The labour union listed their demands to include “payment of gratuities to our retirees of both state and local government, pending since 2014 and 2012 for state and local government retirees, respectively, remittance of deductions from workers’ salaries, full implementation of the minimum wage, implementation of promotion arrears, and reinstatement of pensioners wrongfully removed from payroll”.

The Deputy Governor of the state, Professor Ivara Esu who spoke at a scheduled meeting with labour leaders, which they failed to show up,  decried their belligerant posture, wondering why they failed to keep to their part of the agreement with government.

The Deputy Governor also condemned labour's failure to turn up for the meeting and their resort to locking up government offices.

"We called those who signed this document to come for a meeting with us. Not necessarily for negotiations but at least let us hear who they represent, and perhaps what they are about.

"Though organized labour is not known to law in terms of issues between employer and employee, they signed this document and we invited them for a meeting and we have been waiting here not even one of them has shown up", the evidently upset Processor Esu said.

Enumerating governmet's efforts at fulfiling its agreement with labour, the Deputy Governor disclosed  that "the implementation of promotion of workers has just been approved by His Excellency, the Governor to commence in phases and even as we speak in the last salary payment, this was implemented.

"In terms of remittances from workers salaries, the Governor has also approved four months and that three months be made ready in the first instance and these things are verifiable and these guys are not aware, they don't ask questions, they just wake up to declare a strike"

Continuing, Professor Ejemut said: "I must say the practice of locking government offices and preventing people who want to work in having access is unacceptable.”