Akwa Ibom workers grumble over delayed N70,000 minimum wage implementation, threaten strike

 

Akwa Ibom State civil servants have described as “disturbing” the perceived silence of Governor Umo Eno over the implementation of the new minimum wage of N70,000 in the state.

They vowed to embark on industrial action if the state government remained mum and refused to do the needful.

One of the workers at the Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat, who pleaded anonymity said that they were getting more worried as the governor seemed not to be in a hurry to make any pronouncement on the matter.

According to the worker, “Pastor Umo Eno does not seem to be worried or disturbed over the plight of civil servants.

“Imagine non-oil producing states like Adamawa and Ebonyi announcing the swift implementation of the new minimum wage with effect from September, which is this month, but our state with the highest federal government monthly allocation, is not making any move.

“Our Governor has not even bothered to set up an implementation committee not to talk of making any statement about this very sensitive issue which has become a national discourse.”

Another civil servant said, “Our families are starving as we are faced with the highest food inflation ever in the history of the Nigerian nation.

“Unfortunately, the labour in this state has become inactive to champion workers’ cause.”

Recall that Governor Eno, while the discussion on the new salary structure for the nation’s workforce lasted, had promised to pay whatever the federal government arrived at.

The State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Sunny James while reacting to the workers' threat for strike warned them to desist from such action as the state government has not received the template for implementation of the new minimum wage from the National Salary and Wages Commission.

“Let them not try it, I will be mad with such a group of workers in this state.

“Tell them that it doesn’t work like that. There must be a salary table drawn by the National salary and Wages Commission before states can commence their implementation of the new wage bill.

“I have tried for workers in this state and they cannot behave funny. Tell them to stop such plans immediately,” he threatened.