Ani Bassey
Public institutions in Cross River State has been grounded following the industrial action called by organised labour in Cross River State.
The strike action was called following the refusal of the state government to meet fourteen demands of Organised Labour in the state.
Some of the demands included non-remittance of deductions, non-implementation of promotions, refusal to fully Implement minimum wage and stoppage of tax exemption/allowance for teachers.
Other demands also include payment of hazard allowance for medical/health workers and reinstatement of pensioners wrongly removed from the payroll.
The strike action recorded a huge success as most state-owned public institutions were under lock and key.
Most offices remained locked including courts and students in state-owned public schools were asked to go back home.
Planned Strike: Organised Labour reaches resolution with FG
However, reacting to the strike action, Special Adviser to Governor Ben Ayade on Labour Matters, Comrade Effiong Ita Umoh, faulted the action of Organised Labour in the state.
He said their action stated that the action of the organised Labour was completely wrong.
“Labour couldn’t have called out its members to down their tools and crippled activities of state government without any court order to do so.
“Most of the items in their list had already been met, except gratuity. Labour gave us 3 days warning on Thursday, so we asked them to sit down they refused to say that they won’t sit down for anything and they walked out”, Ayade’s SA maintained.
