By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Despite the regular and prompt payment of workers and pensioners on the 25th of every month by the Governor Chukwuma Soludo administration, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have threatened to down tools if their welfare is not looked into.

In a joint communique signed by the leaders of the two unions, Comrades Humphrey Nwafor NLC and Chris Ogbonna (TUC) and made available to journalists in Awka on Wednesday, they issued Anambra govt a seven-day ultimatum for the government to look into their welfare.

The labour leaders said that failure to address their demands may jeopardise the existing industrial peace and harmony in the state.

The workers called for the immediate dissolution of the Ndi-olu Microfinance Bank board for allegedly engaging in inhuman and fraudulent activities.

They insisted that government must set up a panel to investigate the activities of the bank whose sin they said is not limited to monies deducted from workers’ salaries for recapitalisation but also non-remittance of shares to workers of the state.

While describing the contributory pension scheme in the state as a scam, it stressed that workers’ salaries are being deducted without counterpart remittance from the government.

It further called for the immediate suspension of the deductions and immediate refund of those monies deducted from workers’ salaries.

The labour unions expressed disappointment at Soludo’s sudden removal of the N12,000 wage award to civil servants in the state when other governors were rooting for means to cushion the hunger brought by persisting economic hardship in the land.

They urged the governor to consider providing palliative by granting an upward review of the removed wage award as well as sustaining the payment till the full implementation of the new minimum wage begins.

The communique partly reads: “The non-constitution of the Civil Service Commission and Judicial Service Commission amongst others was a deliberate act by the government to destabilise the system and stagnate workers from being promoted and having access to other entitlements.

“Government should immediately constitute boards that are due for reconstitution to enable workers to have access to their rights and privileges.”

The labour leaders further called for the immediate appointment of permanent secretaries for the smooth running and administration of civil service, adding that non-appointment of permanent secretaries for two years and the use of 3 permanent secretaries in running the 22 MDAs were acts of insensitivity on the part of the government to the advancement of workers welfare and growth.

They also urged government to appoint a Special Adviser/Commissioner for Labour and Productivity or the creation of a ministry in the state to oversee the affairs of labour unions and their activities.

The labour leaders noted that such ministry will advance and progress labour union activities in the state.