Minimum wage war: No pay, no work, Anambra workers dare Obi

Posted by admin Anambra, State News Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

Indication that the industrial action embarked upon by members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Anambra State may linger emerged yesterday when the workers called the bluff of Governor Peter Obi’s “no work, no pay” rule, insisting that the rule should rather be “no pay, no work.”

Sending the signal during their rally held along Dr. Alex Ekwueme Boulevard, the organised Labour noted that Anambra State government needed to be taught a lesson that it was better for it to come to the negotiating table with Labour than imposing its own resolution on the workers in the state.

Obi had at a stakeholders’ meeting on Monday directed the workers to return to work or face hard times including the rule of “no work, no pay,” just as he announced his government’s resolve that all workers employed from 2003 be relieved of their employment, including the 3000 workers recently employed by government (1,200 teachers, regular and ICT, 1,000 employed by ASUBEB, among others).
But yesterday at the rally, Labour dismissed Obi’s threat, stressing that NLC could not be shaken by such threats as the union’s actions were properly guided by Labour laws, noting that strike and picketing were legitimate tools workers use to air their grievances.

Condemning the stakeholders’ meeting convened by the state government, which, according to it, did not consider discussion with the Labour unions before passing a resolution urging workers to go to work, Labour said such style of leadership was not obtainable in a democratic society.

The state NLC Chairman, Mr. Patrick Obianyo said, “we are very happy for the lives of people like the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe. We heard that of all the elders who were at the stakeholders’ meeting, he was the only one who summoned enough courage to tell the gathering that it is unfair to pass a judgment behind Labour in a matter that concerns workers.”

Labour also berated the governor over his threat “to sack non-natives of Anambra State in the state civil service,” calling on the affected workers not to loose sleep over the matter, as Labour would resist any such move to victimise the people.
Also addressing the workers, the state chairman of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Basil Okafor, stated that there was no truth in the information circulated by the state government that the NLC and TUC had written to the European Union (EU) asking that its services in the state be withdrawn.

“We cannot do such a thing; the government is only trying to paint us black to deny us of our entitlement, which is very legitimate. Do not succumb to the threats that you will be victimised if you do not return to work. We are civil servants and we are guided by civil service rule. We have not done anything illegal to warrant the intimidation we are getting.”

-Sunwp_posts