2023 WORKERS’ DAY: GOV. LALONG PROMISES TO RESOLVE ALL ISSUES CONCERNING WORKERS BEFORE 29TH MAY

By: Valentine Adese (JP) and Rueben Egba,

The Governor of Plateau State, Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong, has promised to resolve all issues relating to Workers in the state before leaving office on 29^th May 2023.

NUJ REPRESENTATIVES LED BY A NATIONAL OFFICE

While delivering his speech at the Wrang Pam Township Stadium in Jos today, the venue of Workers’ Day March Pass,  the Governor also urged and encouraged the Labour Unions in Plateau State to approach the State House of Assembly to resolve grey areas in the bill before the House in order to facilitate the passage of bills that would help assist his administration in paying their salaries and pension arrears.

NUJ TEAM

The Governor further promised that, on his part, he would settle all the demands of Labour in the state within the next two weeks, especially the domestication of Teachers’ salary in the state.

GOV. LALONG

While responding to issues raised by the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) led by Comrade Steve Aluko Daniel and the Lead Speaker in the occasion, concerning the need to reduce the level of inequality and leaving his name on the prints of history, Governor Lalong said, “Because of the level of inequality and the need to humanly assist workers in the state since I assumed the office of Governor, I resolved not to effect the Law to pay former Governors high pensions as the Law provides”.

“It is for this very reason that the former Governors and political leaders in the state are against me!” He added.

STEVE ALUKO

Earlier, Steve Aluko, the TUC and the NLC Chairmen in the state, took time to draw the attention of the Governor to urgent issues affecting workers in the state that need to be resolved before the Governor leaves office on the 29^th of May, 2023.

PLATEAU STATE NLC CHAIRMAN

The speech delivered by the NLC Chairman, Comrade Eugene Manji, who also spoke for the TUC Chairman, Comrade Kenneth Shammah (on permission), in part reads:  “Permit me to draw His Excellency’s attention on some urgent and critical challenges being faced by Plateau Workers despite knowing that you are in your terminal stage of your administration:

1. The release and implementation of all pending promotions, annual increments and the prompt release of all workers benefits including the third party deduction such as a cooperative society money deductions.
2. The release and payment of worker’s gratuity both at the State and Local Government Council.
3. The implementation of the Harmonized Retirement age for teachers in Plateau State.
4. Immediate approval and release of the various approved salary tables in the State after the last National Minimumwage Negotiation.
5. Full implementation of the National Minimum Wage for Local Government Workers in Plateau State.
6. Appeal for the purchase of welfare buses to ease transportation problems associated with the increase in the price of petroleum products and threats for subsidy removal.
7. Immediate payment of salaries of Primary School Teachers and other workers being owedin the State.
8. We call for the employment of workers at the Local Government levels to boost that sector.
9. The upward review of pension for allRetired Civil Servants both at the State and Local Government Levels in accordance with the extant laws. This call has become necessary due to the fact that such review has not taken for a long period in Plateau State.
10. The payment of over 50 months salary arrears and allowances for workers of the Hill Station Hotel Jos and urgent appeal for the reopening of the Hotel to members of the Public.
11. An appeal to all workers of Plateau State to access 844 housing units being built by Drallop Nigeria Limited at Zanwar in MiangoChiefdom of Bassa Local Government Council. We appeal for the completion of the payment of land compensation to owners to removal the security threat being posed on the land by the Land owners.
12. Government should expedite action to constitute Governing Boards of PLASCHEMA, State Primary Health Care Development Agency and other State Government Owned Agencies”.

You would recall that the theme of this year’s Worker’s Day is: WORKERS’ RIGHTS AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC JUSTICE

SEE SOME PICTURES FROM THE OCCASION BELOW:-

READ THE FULL SPEECH OF THE PLATEAU STATE NLC CHAIRMAN BELOW:-

TEXT BY THE NLC/TUC ON THE OCCASION OF THE WORKERS DAY CELEBRATION ON THE 1^ST MAY, 2023 AT THE RWANG PAM STADIUM, JOS.

PROTOCOL:

It is with extreme joy that I welcome you all to the May Day (workers Day)celebration for the year 2023. This year’s workers Day is again being jointly celebrated by the NLC and TUC. The celebration is being marked at a time Nigeria workers are going through harsh economic realities orchestrated by the Federal Government of Nigeria’s policy to redesign the naira and the process of transiting from one civilian administration to another in a democratic Government.

The theme for this year’s workers Day celebration tagged, “Worker’s Rights and Socio-economic Justice” has been carefully chosen bearing in mind the difficult situation Nigeria workers are experiencing. Permit me to congratulate Plateau workers for their patience, resilience, hard work and dedication to our duties. I wish all Plateau workers a happy celebration.

Permit me to draw His Excellency’s attention on some urgent and critical challenges being faced by Plateau Workers despite knowing that you are in your terminal stage of your administration:

1. The release and implementation of all pending promotions, annual increments and the prompt release of all workers benefits including the third party deduction such as a cooperative society money deductions.
2. The release and payment of worker’s gratuity both at the State and Local Government Council.
3. The implementation of the Harmonized Retirement age for teachers in Plateau State.
4. Immediate approval and release of the various approved salary tables in the State after the last National Minimumwage Negotiation.
5. Full implementation of the National Minimum Wage for Local Government Workers in Plateau State.
6. Appeal for the purchase of welfare buses to ease transportation problems associated with the increase in the price of petroleum products and threats for subsidy removal.
7. Immediate payment of salaries of Primary School Teachers and other workers being owedin the State.
8. We call for the employment of workers at the Local Government levels to boost that sector.
9. The upward review of pension for allRetired Civil Servants both at the State and Local Government Levels in accordance with the extant laws. This call has become necessary due to the fact that such review has not taken for a long period in Plateau State.
10. The payment of over 50 months salary arrears and allowances for workers of the Hill Station Hotel Jos and urgent appeal for the reopening of the Hotel to members of the Public.
11. An appeal to all workers of Plateau State to access 844 housing units being built by Drallop Nigeria Limited at Zanwar in MiangoChiefdom of Bassa Local Government Council. We appeal for the completion of the payment of land compensation to owners to removal the security threat being posed on the land by the Land owners.
12. Government should expedite action to constitute Governing Boards of PLASCHEMA, State Primary Health Care Development Agency and other State Government Owned Agencies.

NATIONAL ISSUES.

–           2023 General Elections

–           The debate for or against the removal of fuel subsidy

–           Renewed attacks in Plateau State as well as general insecurity as a result of activities of bandits and kidnappers.

–           The autonomy of Local Government Councils.

–           Casualization of workers in the country.

–           Rumored sale of access of NIPOST, privatization of Federal Medical Centres, Transmission Companies of Nigeria and many other Government Agencies.