Leaders of Organised labour in Benue state have tasked workers in the state to be patient while awaiting the implementation of the N30, 000 new minimum wage.
Leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC and Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, JPSNC, made the call on Wednesday during the 2019 May Day celebration in Makurdi.
The labour leaders, while urging workers to be patient with government also said government at all levels must learn to cut down cost of governance and improve on the internally generated revenue drive to enable them pay salaries and pensions conveniently.
The Benue State Chairman of NLC, Godwin Anya said workers voted massively to return Gov. Samuel Ortom because of the conviction that he would solve the problem of salary arrears which was the creation of his first term in office.
Speaking at IBB Square, Anya appealed to the governor to intensify efforts in clearing workers salary arrears, pensions and gratuities as well as attend to promotion issues and effect all kinds of increment so as to better the welfare of workers.
“Ortom is the one who is owing us and he understands the issues on ground. Therefore, we are convinced that it will be easy managing these issues with him.”
The TUC chairman in Benue state, Ordue Tartenger commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the bill approving N30,000 as national minimum wage.
Tartenger expressed the belief that the new minimum wage would in no small measure give workers a sense of belonging.
He also called on government to stop casualization and engage workers properly to encourage the workforce just as he appealed to the state government to implement outstanding promotions among other issues.
The State Chairman of Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, JPSNC, I, II, III, Ojema Ojotu said; “We are celebrating this 2019 May Day with a lot of excitement and joy because the president has signed the new minimum wage. So we are celebrating ahead.”
He said the theme for this year’s celebration, “Another 100 Years Of Struggle, For Jobs, Dignity And Social Justice In Nigeria,” was apt because workers have always struggled for better welfare.
He insisted that workers, whether government or private deserved better welfare packages and should receive it as at when due.
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Ojotu however, called on workers to be patient and continue to exhibit maturity no matter the level of pressure from the economic hardship occasioned by non payment of salary arrears saying that the new wage would put smiles on their faces.
While some workers in the state appeared to be in a happy mood celebrating the approval of the new minimum wage, some workers said it was not yet uhuru as government must show the political will to pay the new salaries.
Meanwhile, Gov. Samuel Ortom has assured workers that the state was ready to right its wrongs and implement the minimum wage.
Ortom who was represented by his deputy, Benson Abounu promised to adopt multi-dimensional approach in tackling the issue of salaries and arrears of workers this time.
He expressed government’s readiness to “doing things more correctly for Benue this time, and the determination of Ortom’s government to leave indelible footprints on the sounds of time.”
The governor who acknowledged the fact that Benue workers massively returned him to power for the second time, promised that the confidence reposed in his government would not be taken for granted.
He reiterated his commitment to implementing the new 30,000 minimum wage for workers, but called on the federal government to review upward the revenue sharing formula to enable easy implementation at the state levels.
He also assured that government would boost internally generated revenue and reduce cost of governance, while a “belt tightening strategy will be adopted in running his second term for the desired benefit of the state.”
