By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
The Cross River State government has faulted the action of organised labour for leading thousands of it’s members in the state to down tools and thereby paralysed activities of the state government, despite government meeting their demands.
In a scheduled meeting, which was supposed to hold between government and labour leaders on Thursday, the state government accused labour leaders of failing to show up.
The sstat Deputy Governor, Prof. Ivara Esu, decried the warlike attitude put up by the labour union leaders, wondering why labour leaders suddenly renaged on the agreement it had reached with government to turn up for the Thursday meeting.
Esu wondered why the labour leaders failed to show up for a round table discussion, but instead prefer to hold government at the jugular by shutting down government offices, crippling activities of government
Esu said, “We called those who signed this document to come for a meeting with us. Not necessarily for negotiations, but at least let us hear who they represent, and perhaps what they are about.
“Though organized labour is not known to law in terms of issues between employer and employee, they signed this document and we invited them for a meeting and we have been waiting here, not even one of them has shown up.”
Counting effort to fulfil agreement with orgamised labour, the Deputy Governor averred that implementation of workers promotion, which the state governor just gave approval to commence in phases was implemented in the last salary payment.
He added, “In terms of remittances from workers salaries, the governor has also approved four months and that three months be made ready in the first instance and these things are verifiable and these guys are not aware, they don’t ask questions, they just wake up to declare a strike.
“I must say the practice of locking government offices and preventing people who want to work having access is unacceptable.”
