Abia workers lament non-payment of salaries, pension, gratuity

ABIA State Council of Nigeria Labour Congress [NLC] has tasked the Abia State Government to settle arrears of salary owed to Abia workers without further delay.

In a communiqué at its state executive council meeting, in Umuahia, Abia NLC told Governor Okezie Ikpeazu not to use some projects embarked by his administration “as a hindrance to pay workers’ salaries”, lamenting that Abia workers “are currently passing through hard times due to non-payment of salaries”.

 The communiqué which was sent to Governor Ikpeazu through the Head of Service, Labour also called on the government to “as a matter of urgency address the issue of pension arrears owed to pensioners in the State which spans between 5-12 months as the case may be”.

Abia workers also condemned in “strong terms, the non-release of check-off dues as at when due from MDAs”, even as they called on the government to “clear the arrears of gratuity owed to retirees in Abia State spanning over 15 years”.

To avoid the continuation of the ugly fate of retired workers in the State, the communiqué said that Abia workers have adopted the introduction of the Contributory Pension Fund Scheme which they hoped would address the untold hardship of retirees if well managed.

 The communiqué which was signed by the State Chairman, Comrade Uchenna Obigwe and the acting Secretary, Comrade John Onaga also frowned at “high taxation of Abia workers which is based on consolidated salary structure, not minding that not all Abia workers are on consolidated salary.”