Gov Otti meets with labour over notice of strike

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has said that his administration has not received funds from the federal government to implement any new wage award.

Mr Otti said this during a meeting with labour leaders, Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint Negotiating Council in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State.

He said: “There has been misleading stories all over the place that the federal government gave monies to the state governments to implement the wage award.

“Last time I checked, there were no such monies. This state has not received a dime from the federal government to implement any wage award.”

Mr Otti also said that the government has been implementing the minimum wage as the state’s payroll indicates that the least-paid worker receives a N30,000 monthly salary.

“I see the payroll, and I didn’t see anyone who is paid less than N30,000, which is the minimum wage.

“Maybe something is wrong, and I’ll like the accountant-general to please look into that because what is available to me shows we are complying with the minimum wage of N30,000 and that the least-paid worker is paid N30,000.

“When I read in the media that we are not complying, I took it as a hatchet man’s job, but you repeating it here means something is wrong somewhere.

“I’ll like that a reconciliation happens between the Organized Labour and the Office of the Accountant General,” Mr Otti said.

He said that there was a need for the minimum wage to be increased due to economic concerns such as the removal of fuel subsidy, foreign exchange rate adjustments, inflation, and poverty.

Mr Otti reiterated the state government’s readiness to implement the new minimum wage immediately after the federal government finalised its decision.

“We don’t want to move ahead of the federal government, so that’s why I’m showing keen interest in discussions between the federal government and the organised labour at the centre,” he said.

Mr Otti said that the decision to reverse the promotions given to workers in the state was informed by the discovery of the flawed process through which the past administration gave them.

He assured the unions that workers would continue to receive promotions following due process and directed the accountant general to disburse leave allowances to Abia workers.

He said that the arrears of salaries owed workers in the state-owned institutions of higher learning would be paid in tranches.

Mr Otti also directed the head of the civil service and the accountant general to involve organised labour in the workers’ verification conducted by the government.

He said that plans were underway to create a Ministry of Labour and Productivity to further enhance the relationship between the government and labour.

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What the NLC told Otti

Earlier, the State NLC Chairperson, Ogbonnaya Okoro, expressed delight over the harmonious relationship between the organised labour and the Abia State Government.

Mr Okoro said that several issues had prompted the issuance of a planned industrial action notice.

He said that the issues include the non-payment of the N30,000 minimum wage, non-payment of the N35,000 wage award and excluding labour from the verification exercise.

Mr Okoro urged the government to address the non-payment of leave allowance to workers and severance allowances for recently retired permanent secretaries and directors.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the state’s organised labour issued a notice on Monday of its plan to embark on an indefinite strike on 15 July.

(NAN)