Labour leaders in Enugu state are no longer finding it funny that the staff of local governments in the state are not receiving minimum wage like their state counterparts and have sworn to do something in that regard.
State chairman of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Ben Asogwa, who disclosed this to newsmen, said the organised labour will now take up the issue with the state governor, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, “because the issue has been lingering for too long.”
Asogwa said council chairmen seemed not to pay because some other states have not started paying, explaining that they could be capitalising on it not to pay in Enugu state.
He, however, said they would soon look into the minimum wage, not only for the council staff but the primary school teachers and workers in the parastatals.
“Right now we have agreed that we are not going to leave the issue of non-payment of minimum wage to local government workers alone to handle because it has lingered for so long.
“Some states have not started paying and ALGON and the council chairmen could capitalise on that not to pay. So we are taking it to the state level even for those in the parastatals.
“We agreed with the Governor during our last May Day to look into the issue. As we talk, we are waiting to see that they are paid their own minimum wage,” Asogwa said.
On the accumulated pensions and gratuities in the state, Asogwa said that the state government has suspended the monthly N100, 000,000 agreed to be set aside to offset backlog of pensions and gratuities because of the economic realities on ground since the outbreak of COVID-19 and recession.
