The Imo State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has stormed the streets in Owerri to protest over the move by the State Governor, Rochas Okorocha to privatise its agencies and parastatals
The Chairman of the congress in the State, Austin Chilakpo, is credited with organizing the protest involving workers in the state public service and on Tuesday, condemned the alleged readiness of Members of the House of Assembly to legalise the planned privatisation of the agencies.
He expressed dismay at “clandestine moves” by the lawmakers to repeal or amend the laws establishing parastatals in the State for the purpose of commercialising them.
Economic activities had on July 29, 2015 ground to a halt in Owerri, the State Capital as commercial banks and Labour Unions embarked on a five days warning strike over several months of unpaid salaries.
The meeting between Okorocha, and the labour unions in Imo State had ended in deadlock as the unions directed all their workers to begin a “warning strike” through a joint statement.
The labour leader said that the workers were also aggrieved over the attitude of the Governor, who appeared unconcerned about their plight.
He expressed dismay over the disregard for the seven day warning strike action which the workers had taken.
He said that the workers in the agencies were owed 23 months salaries, adding that the claim was verifiable.
“Our claims are verifiable; the workers in the state civil service are owed over 23 months in unpaid salaries and we demand that we should be paid.
“Schools will soon resume and fees will be paid, rents are due and yet no salary has been paid; the workers are suffering.
“We are only asking for our rights and not trying to unseat the governor; our claims are not a fluke; we have documents to support them,” he said.
Chilakpo lamented the case of pensioners who, he said, were being owed many months’ pension arrears, adding that some of them had died.
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