Ani Bassey
The Organised Labour in Cross River State has vowed to completely shut down Cross River State within days if the governor refuses to personally address their demands.
The Organised Labour comprises the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Unions Congress and the State Joint Public Negotiations Council.
They have been on strike for over four weeks now following the refusal of the state government to meet about fourteen demands from them.
Comrade Ben Okpebi, chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state disclosed this in Calabar.
He said the organised labour are very united in their demands for the government to look into and address all the 14 demands, or at most, reach an agreement with them on the plight of workers in the state.
The Labour boss said: “We have had human face during this ongoing strike which is entering the fourth week, and it would appear that the state government is taking us for a joke
“We are determined to completely shut down the entire state since the governor is bragging, not wanting to sit at a table with us.
“It is heartlessness for anybody to deny aged retirees who put in more than half of his active life in the service of the state and is denied his statutory dues.
“It is unspeakable for you to treat workers who generate a wealth of the state with kid-gloves and impunity as if they are fools yet others are basking in opulence.
“Government should be wise enough to address the demands put before them, pay outstanding debts and place workers as a priority. It will be worse if the government refuses to dialogue.”
He assured that Labour will not give in or compromise with the government to the detriment of workers’ interests, urging workers not to yield to threats as they were battle-ready to protect them.
Wike urges Labour to support his adminstration
Governor Ayade has not personally met with the striking workers since the commencement of the strike action.
He recently delegated his deputy Prof Ivara Esu to meet with Labour but labour rejected, saying Esu does not have the competence to take decisions.
The governor has however announced that his administration will set aside 30 to 50 million monthly as sinking funds to address the huge backlog of workers pensions and gratuities.
The gratuity owed to state and local government workers in the state date from 2013 and is put at over 48 billion nairas.
