Workers demand sack of consultants over owed salaries

Cross River State chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for the sack of salaries consultants over irregular payment of salaries to workers in the state. The NLC alleged many staff were usually paid four months salaries in advance while others were not paid at all. The NLC and the state Ministry of Local […]

Cross River State chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for the sack of salaries consultants over irregular payment of salaries to workers in the state.

The NLC alleged many staff were usually paid four months salaries in advance while others were not paid at all.

The NLC and the state Ministry of Local Government Affairs have agreed to constitute an Administrative Reconciliatory Committee to verify and reconcile the payroll system of local government councils from June to December, 2016.

This agreement was reached between Labour and the Ministry of Local Government Affairs following the picketing  of the ministry by the joint action of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state over the non-payment of some local government workers for eight months.

State Chairman of NLC, Comrade John Ushie and his TUC counterpart, Clarkson Otu  in a statement said, the constitution of the Administrative Reconciliatory Committee would take effect from January 31, 2017.

It added that the committee shall comprise the Ministry of Local Government Affairs, the representatives from the Office of the Auditor-General for Local Government, Organised Labour and the consultants.

The agreement emphasized that the Ministry of Local Government Affairs should ensure that the verified list and payment report from June to December, 2016 were collected from the consultants for the purpose of the reconciliation.

“The outstanding payment of salaries to the unpaid workers should be paid without further delay,” the statement added, stressing that, “the consultant should be disengaged forthwith.”

The agreement further noted that the January 2017 salaries should be paid to all verified workers in the local government councils.

“Genuine staff of the councils should not be omitted from the payment,” it said.