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NLC disagrees with Bello over screening of workers before salaries payment

By John Akubo, Lokoja
05 February 2016   |   7:37 am
BARELY 24 hours after the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kogi State called off its two months old strike, it is involved in a fresh crisis with the state government over the decision to screen workers in the public sector before payment of salaries. The labour leaders who issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government…
Yaya Bello

Yaya Bello

BARELY 24 hours after the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kogi State called off its two months old strike, it is involved in a fresh crisis with the state government over the decision to screen workers in the public sector before payment of salaries.

The labour leaders who issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government to rescind its decision, yesterday asked the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to refrain from its move to screen workers before paying their salaries or face another round of industrial action.

NLC State Chairman, Onuh Edoka, who addressed newsmen after the State Executive Council meeting in Lokoja, the state capital, said organised labour is against Bello’s directive that workers in the state must undergo verification before they get the one month salary he promised them.

He urged Bello to cancel the move forthwith, saying labour and government never discussed the issue of verification of workers as the criteria for payment of the one month salary promised before suspension of the strike.

Edoka pointed out that the new government was starting on an insincere note with workers of the state.

“He is starting by backstabbing the labour leaders. We dissociate ourselves from the move. We never discussed screening of workers before payment of salaries. Government should rescind its decision and pay workers without any string attached. If it wants to do any screening exercise, the timing is very wrong. The screening is untimely and should be stopped,” Edoka said.

He called on workers in the state not to collect or fill any verification form from the permanent secretaries as directed by Governor Bello, saying, if there must be any staff verification, government must involve the organised labour in such exercise.

Edoka wondered where the state government expects workers who have not taken salary for about four months to get transport money to come to Lokoja for the exercise.

“For workers who have not been paid for four months and are expected to earn one month salary out of the arrears and they are now forced to go through another harrowing hardship of travelling for long distances to pick forms in Lokoja, and then make photocopies.

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