Gov. Bassey Otu at the Labour Day celebration on Wednesday.
By Ita Williams, Calabar
On International Workers’ Day, the people of Cross River State came together to celebrate the contributions of its workers and hear from government leaders on plans to address their concerns.
The event, held at the UJ Esuene Stadium, was attended by Cross River State Governor Senator (Prince) Bassey E. Otu, labor leaders, civil servants, and members of the public. The theme for this year’s celebration was “The People First,” which aligns with the governor’s mantra.
In his address, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Cross River State Council, Comrade Gregory Olay, highlighted the challenges facing workers in the state. These include:
– Non-implementation of promotions, especially for local government staff, primary school teachers, and primary health workers since 2015.
– Delayed payment of gratuity to retirees since 2013.
– Non-payment of annual incremental steps and wage awards to civil servants.
– Delays in remitting deductions from workers’ salaries, such as union dues and loan repayments.
– Failure to implement the 27.5% Teachers’ Salary Adjustment (TSA) and restore tax exemptions for teachers
– Non-collection of check-off dues by the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW)
– Lack of implementation of the 30% Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) increase for health workers
– Inadequate capital grants and subventions for the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS)
– Non-implementation of financial autonomy for state legislative staff.
Olay appealed to the governor to address these issues to ensure industrial harmony in the state.
In his response, Governor Otu acknowledged the workers’ challenges and outlined several measures his administration has taken to address them. He said:
“Since my assumption of office, the payment of monthly salary and pension to workers and pensioners has remained a first-line charge in every month’s expenditure. I am morally inclined to give them this priority attention.”
The governor also disclosed that his administration has directed the State Civil Service Commission to conduct promotion interviews to upgrade deserving workers up to 2023.
He added that the government will implement all genuine promotions for state and local government workers, with effect from May 2024.
On the issue of employment, Governor Otu said the state government is conscious of the need to employ qualified youths into the civil service to bridge the manpower gap created by retirements.
He has directed the relevant agencies to expedite action in determining the actual manpower gap to enable the commencement of employment from Grade Levels 03 – 09.
Regarding the implementation of the new national minimum wage, the governor announced that the least-paid worker in the Cross River State civil service will now earn a living wage of N40,000 per month.
He also revealed plans to constitute a State Produce Marketing Board to control prices and ensure farmers get competitive rates for their produce.
The governor further stated that the renovation of some Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) is ongoing, and the provision of office furniture and equipment will be implemented in the second phase. He also acknowledged the lack of electricity supply in many MDAs and directed the relevant agencies to address the issue.
While commending the government’s efforts, the State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Sir Comrade Monday Ogbodum, urged the governor to expedite the payment of outstanding gratuity to retirees and the implementation of the new national minimum wage.
Ogbodum also called for the proper implementation of promotions, particularly in the local government service, and the release of deductions from workers’ salaries that have been withheld for several months.
In his goodwill message, Governor Otu emphasized the importance of workers to the development of the state, saying, “Workers in the State are always held in high esteem to achieve good results.”
The governor also challenged the workers to reciprocate the government’s gestures by doubling their efforts in their assigned duties, warning that the administration may resort to ways of evaluating workers’ benefits vis-a-vis their output if productivity remains low.
The International Workers’ Day celebration in Cross River State was a platform for the government and labor leaders to engage on the welfare of the state’s workforce.
The governor’s commitments and the labour leaders’ demands signal a renewed effort to address the long-standing challenges facing civil servants in the state.
