Imo state workers protested on Saturday that their pay had not been increased as promised by the state’s governor, Hope Uzodimma.
They expressed their displeasure in a statement released to the media in Owerri and signed by the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Phillip Nwansi, and other affiliate groups.
It should be recalled Uzodimma promised to increase Imo workers’ salaries from the minimum wage of N30,000 to N40,000 as a way of cushioning the negative effect of the removal of fuel subsidy. However, failure to do it.
The NLC in a statement stated their grievances as directed to the governor’s attention said: “Since after the last salary payment of July 2023, most workers of the state mainly from Grade level 07 to Grade level 14, there has been reports of no addition in the net salary of the category of these workers.
“It was expected the hat addition ion an extra N10,000 to the National Minimum Wage of N30,000 and its consequential adjustment could have added much increase to the net take home of these workers.
“It is also observed that the only additions on the salary of workers of this cadre are less than N1,000 and some no additions at all thereby painting the good intentions of Your Excellency of alleviating the pains of Imo State workers due to the removal of fuel subsidy” part of the letter stated.
The Union howeexpressedsing gratitude to the governor “to improve the welfare of Imo State workers including the palliatives the Governor rolled out to cushion the effect of the suffering of workers as a result of the increase of cost of living in the country.”
As for a way out, the NLC was of the view that “a Committee of Government and Labour be set up to consummate it into a Government Salary table. This will enable workers of the State to know how the increase has reflected on the take-someone since the only salary table in place in the State the is 2011 National Minimum Wage of N20,000.
“We, therefore appeal that the addition of N10,000 to the negotiated National N30,000 National minimum wage making it N40,000 Minimum wage for the state as pronounced by His Excellency during the last stakeholders meeting be properly implemented to reflect the good intentions and goodwill will of our amiable governor cushion the negative effect on the fuel subsidy removal.”