Rivers Workers Vow to Strike Next Week

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)and it affiliates have vowed to embark on an indefinite strike on Monday,November 12,at the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum issued to the Rivers State government if it does not refund all the monies deducted from the salaries of civil servants in the state.

The state government started the deductions from the September and October 2012 salaries of civil servants as part of their mandatory contribution to the state’s controversial Social Services Contributory Levy.

The levy was imposed on every taxable adult in the state to fund the new modern primary schools built across the state.

Chairman of the NLC in the state, Comrade Chris Oruge and Chika Onuegbu,of the Trade Union Congress,TUC, who issued the ultimatum at the end of a joint meeting of civil service unions in Port Harcourt, said the state government has not given any cogent reason why the money was being deducted.

Oruge said labour would mobilise all its members to embark on indefinite industrial action should the state government refuse to refund the money, calling on all the civil servants in the state to remain calm as steps are being taken to address the issue.

Both labour leaders have threatened to mobilise the Federal Civil Servants to join their state counterparts because injury to one is injury to others.

Oruge said labour would mobilise all its members to embark on indefinite industrial action should the state government refuse to refund the money, calling on all the civil servants in the state to remain calm as steps are being taken to address the issue.

Meanwhile,Governor Chibuike Amaechi has told civil servants that he has directed the Commissioner of Finance to stop deductions from workers as Christmas is approaching. He said he felt it would be burdensome on workers if deductions, that included arrears, were made in their September and October salaries.

This explanation seem not have doused the anger of the civil servants as a lot of deductions had been done on their September Salaries and they must be refunded. They also asked for the sack of the Commissioner for Finance for sanctioning the deductions.

As the stand off continued,Amaechi has travelled out of the country and will be back on Tuesday next week.

By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt