THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS URGES WORKERS TO SHUN DECEMBER SALARY, PROTEST SACK OF 6,000 WORKERS

The Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) Kogi chapter, has directed civil servants in the state to reject their December salaries to protect the jobs of over 6,000 workers slated for sack by the government.
 The NLC gave the directive on Sunday in Lokoja in a communique issued at the end of the meeting of its executive committee.
 The communique was signed by Mr James Odaodu chairman and Mr John Kolawole secretary respectively. It stated that the leadership of the NLC was piqued by the arbitrary removal of the names of over 6,000 workers from December pay roll.

 It added that the only way to protect the interest of the affected workers was for the entire workforce to reject this month’s salaries. Congress accused the Commissioners for Finance, Budget and Planning and the Accountant-General of `hijacking’ the job of the committee constituted by government to implement the report of the recent screening of the state work force. It urged the officials to ‘hands-off’ to ensure “thorough implementation” of the report of the exercise.

 While appreciating the government for involving labor in efforts to sanitize the state civil service, the NLC frowned at what it called ‘selective’ implementation of the report of the screening. “We condemn the plan by government to implement part of the report. “We have other issues in the report such as cash backing of promotion and annual increment among others,” the communique said. It warned that failure by government to `do the necessary things’ could jeopardize the existing peaceful industrial atmosphere in the state.