The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Abia, on Tuesday, July 26, 2016 urged the state government to settle workers’ salary arrears.
A communiqué issued by the State Chairman, Comrade Uchenna Obigwe and the acting Secretary, Comrade John Onaga, after the state executive council meeting, in Umuahia, warned Governor Okezie Ikpeazu to stop using projects embarked upon by his administration “as a hindrance to pay workers’ salaries”.
It said “Abia workers are currently passing through hard times due to non-payment of salaries”, calling on the Governor to “as a matter of urgency, address the issue of pension arrears owed to pensioners in the State which spans between 5-12 months as the case may be”.
The workers condemned in “strong terms, the non-release of check-off dues as at when due from MDAs”, even as they called on the government to “clear the arrears of gratuity owed to retirees in Abia State spanning over 15 years”.
The communiqué disclosed that Abia workers had adopted the introduction of the Contributory Pension Fund Scheme which they hoped would address the untold hardship of retirees if well managed.
The workers also frowned at “high taxation of Abia workers which is based on consolidated salary structure, not minding that not all Abia workers are on consolidated salary.”
