Civil servants in Cross River State this morning, www.calitown.com can authoritatively reveal, commenced an indefinite strike action to push through a five-point demand, contained in Bulletin No. 2 and issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, a copy of which was made available to www.calitown.com.
Top of their demands is “the non-resolution of the Judiciary dispute which has resulted in a prolonged strike action and paralysed the entire legal process as well as heightened insecurity in the state”. Additionally, the Unions are frowning at the withholding of gratuities to retired workers of the state since 2012 and the failure to implement the court ruling which entitles the union to collect check off dues of retirees under the local government pension scheme.
Again, “the non-remittance of the balance of 11.28% of the teachers’ specific allowance”, the staggered implementation of promotion for teachers and the contentious issues of the management of motor parks in the state which the union want returned to the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, in line with the function of the union recognized nationwide.
Observers say the strike may have commenced earlier but a few promises by the state governor, Liyel Imoke may have pushed the evil day to today. One civil servant who spoke on condition of anonymity insists that, “it is a shame that Imoke will choose to decieve us on Workers’ Day by telling us he will pay all our entitlements before he leaves but what do we see in the end, he plans to walk away without fulfilling his promise to us, it is indeed a shame”. However, one worker is of the opinion that the labour union may be using the strike to cut a deal for some labour leaders “who would normally call us out on a strike and when they go behind and collect money, they call us back. I think we should just do our work and since government is a continuous process, even if Imoke leaves without paying our entitlements, Ayade will have no option but to pay us to the last kobo. I don’t support the strike”, he submitted.
