Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Organised labour in Rivers State has said it must ensure that civil servants in the state and local government areas also receive the N35,000 increment announced by the Federal Government.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC in Rivers State, Alex Agwanwor, gave this assurance during a live radio programme on Nigeria Infofm in Port Harcourt.
Also,the Chairman of the Trade Union Congress,TUC,in Rivers State, Comrade Foster Onyefuru said both unions have agreed to follow up on the Federal government’s plans to put the refineries in working condition within the next six months.
The national leadership of the two union suspended the Nationwide strike when the Federal Government approved a pay raise of N35,000 for federal workers.
However, the state chapters of the union are insisting that they will press it on both the State and Local Governments to implement the approval for their workers.
Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress ,NLC, and Trade Union Congress ,TUC, agreed to suspend for thirty days, the planned indefinite nationwide strike scheduled to begin on today, Wednesday.
The decision came after a meeting with the Federal Government’s delegation.
Announcing the resolutions of the meeting, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, said the federal government agreed to wage award of N35,000 (Thirty-five thousand Naira) to all Federal Government workers.
He said the wage award would begin from the month of September pending when a new national minimum wage is expected to have been signed into law, while a minimum wage committee shall be inaugurated within one month from the date of the agreement.
The Minister said all parties agreed to abide by the dictates of Social dialogue in future engagements, adding that a joint visitation would be made to the refineries to ascertain their rehabilitation status.
The Labour Minister stated that the memorandum shall be filed with the relevant Court of competent jurisdiction within one week as a consent judgement by the Federal Government.
While commiting to the agreement, NLC President, Joe Ajaero,said the Organized labour would revisit the issues contained in the agreement after thirty days, while the TUC President, Festus Osifo,demanded a hundred percent implementation.