The organised labour in Cross River State has suspended its 31 days strike.
The suspension, according to the Chairman of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Comrade Godwin Otei, was sequel to the meeting held with the Traditional Rulers Council, which called for a truce between labour leaders and the Cross River government.
Otei, in an interaction with newsmen in Calabar, said that the organised labour comprising NLC, TUC and JNC agreed to suspend the strike in the interest of the people.
He further hinted that labour had reached an agreement with the state government and have been assured of immediate implementation.
The Chairman of Joint Public Service Negotiating Council said, “We have never had it this bad. We were expecting a better Cross River handed over by previous governments instead it got worst. Every aspect of the lives of the Cross River people was affected; everything depreciated.
“The hope of retirees and their gratuity became an illusion. We as civil servants were seen as pariah, once you want to get a facility from the bank and they ask you where you work, if you mention civil servant, you can never get the loan. Yet we are buying planes, travelling round the world and now we are planning to buy ships.
“Well, we have agreed to wait for another 5 months to see if the government will fulfil all we have agreed and we did this in the interest of the people. This will go down as one of the longest strikes in the history of our dear state as we stayed home for about 31 days,” Otei said.
The State NLC Chairman, Comrade John Ukpebi insisted that labour only suspended the strike for 5 months with the hope that the Governor Ben Ayade led government would stick to the agreement.
Ukpebi stated, “This is one of the longest strikes in the history of the state and this was because of the government’s insensitivity. Following the agreement reached with the government through the mediation of the state’s Traditional Rulers Council led by the Paramount Ruler of Bakassi and chairman, Etinyin Etim Okon Edet, the strike is hereby suspended forthwith.
He stated further to all NLC members, “The action committee, on behalf of the leadership, sincerely appreciates your doggedness and solidarity throughout the period of the action. This is just a suspension and not a call-off. We are going to hold on and watch what the government will do between now and 5 months to see if they are sincere.”
In the same vein, the Chairman of TUC, Comrade Monday Ogbodum supported the reason earlier given by Otei and Ukpebi, noting “We have extracted various commitments from government; while they have started implementing some of our demands, on issues of implementation of arrears, they have started from September.
“We have also extracted commitments from the government that from January 1 2022, the 1,800 persons whose names were removed from the payroll would be reinstated. The government has also agreed to be keeping 50 million naira monthly for the purpose of gratuity amongst other commitments,” he added.
Dominica Nwabufo
