Taraba State Workers Shut Secretariat To Protest Non-Payment Of Salaries

darius-ishaku

Taraba State workers under the aegis of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) on Thursday crippled activities at the state secretariat in Jalingo to protest against the non-payment of their salaries.

The workers were seen brandishing placards with several inscriptions, including: “One year of impunity and insensitivity must stop’’  “salary is a right not a privilege’’, “Starter Up must go’’ and “pensioners have right to a dignified living.”

The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Taraba, Mr Peter Gambo, in his address said the state government had continued to be insensitive to the plights of the workers, adding that they were protesting against other irregularities in the payment of salaries of workers and pensions of retirees in the state.

He said that local government workers and teachers had not been paid for eight months, pointing out that they had been subjected to untold hardship.

The chairman listed such irregularities as illegal deductions from salaries and subjection of workers to meaningless screenings and futile verification by the government.

Gambo also alleged that the union dues were deducted indiscriminately without being remitted to the respective accounts of the unions and that government had given no explanations for this.

“Government has shown that the welfare of workers in the state is not its priority.

“Workers have been subjected to all kinds of belittling treatments in the name of screening and verification that have not yielded any fruits apart from subjecting them to extreme hardships.

“The consultant has proven to be very incompetent in handling payment of salaries while the bank handling payment has clearly shown that it is confused. All these must stop now”, he said.

Also addressing the protesters, the state Head of Service, Mr Samuel Angyu, said that the state government is aware of the workers’ complaints and was already taking steps to address them.

He however, appealed to the workers to end the protest and make way for “peaceful and civilized discussions on the way forward.”

The protesters carried placards that read: “One year of impunity and insensitivity must stop’’  “salary is a right not a privilege’’, “Starter Up must go’’ and “pensioners have right to a dignified living.”

Footballers under the state’s employ, also besieged the Government House on Monday, to demand the payment of their 21 months’ salaries.