…As Striking Ekiti Council Workers Resume Work On Monday
BARRING any intervention by government, workers in Rivers State will on Monday begin an indefinite strike over deductions of salaries by the state government.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state have directed workers to stay back at home from Monday, November 12, 2012, to protest illegal deductions from their September and October salaries.
Similarly, pharmacists and medical scientists in the state would on Wednesday, November 14, 2012, embark on an indefinite strike in protest over unresolved labour issues with the management of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH).
The development is coming as the Ekiti State Local Government workers under the aegis of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) have suspended their two-month old strike and called on their colleagues to return to work immediately.
The decision to end the strike was reached after negotiations that led to the signing of an agreement by representatives of the government and NULGE witnessed by the representatives of the Federal Ministry of Labour.
Signing the agreement in Ado Ekiti on Friday, the state president of NULGE, Comrade Dele Ajayi, urged the local council workers to resume work on Monday as the suspension of the strike is with immediate effect.
TUC in a statement issued at the end of its emergency state executive council meeting in Port Harcourt yesterday said the decision to proceed on the strike action followed its believe that "injury to one is injury to all".
The statement signed by the state TUC Chairman, Hyginus Chika Onuegbu and the Secretary, Jonas Ogundu Okere, reads in part: "Council-in-Session notes that there are so many lingering labour issues that require urgent resolution and therefore ratifies the support given to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Rivers State initiated strike action by the leadership of TUC Rivers State council.
"Council, therefore, directs that if by midnight of Sunday November 11, 2012, the demands as stated in the letter of November 7, 2012, jointly signed by the state chairmen of NLC and TUC are not met, that all affiliates of NLC and TUC in the Rivers State public service should embark on an indefinite strike action."
The statement added: "Council further directs that if by midnight of Wednesday, November 14, 2012, that all affiliates of NLC and TUC in the Federal Government service and the private sector should join the strike action in solidarity with their comrades in the Rivers State public service as injury to one is injury to all."
While expressing grief over the manner the management of UPTH treats its workers and their unions, the labour union also expressed dissatisfaction on how the state government handled the salary deduction issue.
The statement continued: "Council, therefore, directs that all affiliates of TUC namely Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRIAI) and the Nigerian Union of Pharmacists, Medical Scientist and Professionals Allied to Medicine (NUPMTPAM) and their associated professional bodies should commence indefinite strike action from Wednesday, November 14, 2012 if their demands are not adequately addressed by midnight of Tuesday, November 13, 2012."
Ajayi commended the state government for agreeing to meet the demands of the workers, saying the step showed that the Fayemi-led administration meant well for workers.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development, Chief Dayo Fadipe commended NULGE for toeing the path of dialogue, saying it showed that the two parties believe in the vision to develop the state.
The agreement reads: "Following the request from NULGE on the implementation of the National Minimum Wage for its members, several meetings were held and the following resolutions were reached on Wednesday, November 7, 2012: That (one) the national minimum wage of N19, 012.95 should be implemented for all categories of workers in the local government service with effect from November 1, 2012."
It was also agreed that the implementation of CONMESS/CONHESS for qualified medical and health workers would commence with effect from November 1, this year, while the health workers will be deployed to the Primary Health Care Development Agency.
The agreement added that no worker of the local councils would be victimised for his or her roles during the strike.
The event was witnessed by the Commissioners for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye; Labour and Productivity, Mr. Wole Adewumi; Special Adviser Governor's Office, Chief Biodun Akin Fasae and the chairman of the State Local Government Service Commission, Chief Aderemi Ajayi, among others.
