27th May, 2015
The Ebonyi Government has been called upon to pay the September 2011 salaries of local government workers in the State.
The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Ebonyi, made the appeal in a statement issued in Abakaliki on Wednesday.
The statement, signed by Mr Leonard Nkah, President of NULGE in Ebonyi, said over 7,000 local government workers who joined a strike declared by Nigeria Labour Congress, were not paid the September salaries as government applied `no work no pay’’ rule.
NAN recalls that after the February 2015 industrial action, the government agreed to pay the withheld September salaries.
The statement noted that the salaries had not been paid to the affected workers.
It also added that local government workers were yet to be paid their April 2015 salaries. “This is unacceptable. While our counterparts in the ministries are looking forward to their May 2015 salaries, the local government workers are still being dribbled about payment of the April 2015 salaries.
“The manner in which our September 2011 salaries are being swept under the carpet beats one’s imagination.”
The statement noted that the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), had washed its hands off the issue of the payment of the salaries.
According to him, JAAC said that local governments/development centres still owing should be ordered to pay or be sanctioned if the funds released to them are missing.
It stressed that NULGE had always been a very peaceful, civil and law abiding union with a reputation of unrivalled industrial harmony with the government built over the years.
“In the present circumstance, the union has shown understanding beyond measure and tolerated more than necessary as it pertains to how our workers welfare have been treated for sometimes now.”
The union, on Friday, May 22, demonstrated against the non-payment of the salaries.