Organised labour in Cross River State has suspended its 31-day strike the signing of a memorandum of understanding between them and government officials.
Workers, who engaged in the month-long strike which saw all government offices, including courtrooms and schools closed directed that their demands be met.
Among the demands are payment of arrears of gratuities, implementation of promotion, pension, full payment of minimum wage, among others.
Addressing journalists on Thursday at the Secretariat of Association of Senior Civil servants of Nigeria ASCSN/ TUC, the Chairman Of Joint Public Service Negotiating Council JNC, Comrade Godwin Otei, said the decision to suspend the strike was reached at the meeting with the Traditional Rulers Council (TRC) who mediated for peace.
He said the suspension is in the interest of the masses so that there could be room for the implementation of the agreements reached so far.
“The State has never had it this bad in the state civil service. Every aspect of the lives of Cross Riverians was affected, everything depreciated.
“The hope of retirees and their gratuity has become an illusion, we as Civil Servants are seen as a pariah, once you want to get a facility from the bank, and they ask you where you work if you mention civil servant, you can never get the loan because of how the administration reduce the service”.
“Labour has agreed to wait for another five months to see if the government will fulfil all we have agreed and we did this in the interest of the people, this will go down as one of the longest strikes in the history of our dear state, as we stayed home for about 31 days.”
According to the MoU, “The state government agreed to set aside a minimum of N50m monthly with effect from January 2022 for the payment of gratuities to both state and local government retirees with an additional allocation up to the maximum of that month’s and or year’s gratuity in any month and or year where the revenue inflows increase. Also, a committee comprising both government and labour leaders to be set up for verification and payment.”
“Full implementation of minimum wage for workers would commence when the economy improves; the balance of 27.5 per cent to teachers shall be implemented when the economy improves; names of affected local government workers have been restored to the payroll; names of local government pensioners wrongly removed from the payroll have been restored; the newly employed and verified but non-payrolled staff shall be payrolled effective January 2022; labour leaders and workers will not be victimised as a result of their participation in the strike,” it added.
