The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) announced that it will gather its members to protest in Imo State on Wednesday, November 1.
Speaking to reporters at the Labor House in Abuja on Sunday, NLC President Joe Ajaero accused the Imo State Government of infringing upon the rights of Nigerian workers in the state.
Ajaero criticized Governor Hope Uzodimma for what he perceived as neglect of workers’ welfare, expressing sorrow over the reported deaths resulting from unpaid salaries.
He delineated a series of grievances against the Imo State Governor, including the alleged failure to honor previous agreements, particularly the one reached on January 9, 2021, as well as outstanding salary arrears spanning approximately 20 months, the unjust classification of workers as nonexistent (“ghost workers”), a similar misclassification of pensioners, and unresolved gratuity arrears, among other issues.
He stated that around 10,000 retirees have been erroneously designated as non-existent pensioners, leading to more than 22 months of unpaid pensions. Additionally, approximately 11,000 employees have been tagged as non-existent by the Imo State Government.
The NLC President also expressed his regret over the state government’s failure to adhere to the national minimum wage, emphasizing that Governor Uzodinma has been resistant to engaging in social dialogue and collective bargaining to address these concerns.