CAN appeals to Elechi over workers’ salary

Posted by admin Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Ebonyi, State News Monday, November 14th, 2011

Ebonyi State Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has appealed to the state Governor, Martin Elechi to be compassionate to the organized labour in the state and pay all the workers their salaries for the month of September 2011.

In a communiqué signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the association Rev. Emmanuel Nshii and Rev. Stan Nwaokolo respectively, the association urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Ebonyi State to tender an unreserved apology to the governor for embarking on an industrial action before the conclusion of negotiation on the N18, 000 national minimum wage.

It also urged the organized labour in the state to accept the salary table as prepared by the government with little modification specifically for grade levels 7-16. The organized labour had on September 6, 2011 embarked on an indefinite strike to press home their demand for the full implementation of the N18, 000 minimum wage before CAN waded in which made it possible for the suspension of its one month the industrial action by the organized labour. The state government had after the strike came up with the ‘no pay no salary’ policy that affected all the civil servants in the state who joined in the industrial action.

The association appealed on the organized labour to drop their table considering the financial capacity of the state government, adding that; “the state has the least allocation from the federation account as at today.”
CAN urged workers to be proactive in revenue drive to boast the financial base of the state.
When contacted, the Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ebonyi State, Mr. Macs Nnaji, said the union was not comfortable with the recommendation of the CAN over the N18, 000 minimum wage impasse between the state government and NLC and the call for labour to apologize to the governor.

Mr. Nnaji insisted that the proposed salary increment in line with the new minimum wage arrangement for workers in grade levels 7-16 should not go below 90 per cent, adding that the union would not be comfortable with any other contrary agreement.
Nnaji called on the state government to set up a Joint Implementation
Committee on the report of CAN so that issues surrounding the implementation of the new wage would be given a holistic approach and noted with dismay the level of victimization of workers who participated in the industrial action.
The labour leader condemned the ‘no work no pay” directive issued by government in September to workers, adding that such action was contrary to labour laws.

-Sunwp_posts