General News
THE Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) has frowned at the poor condition of service for workers in parastatal organisations in Enugu State.
The Enugu State Chairman of the union, Mr Timothy Ojielo, made the remark on Wednesday in Enugu during the state council’s Delegates’ Conference.
According to Ojielo, most of the parastatal organisations have no scheme and condition of service.
He said that the development was the reason workers were not scheduled for pension.
“It is regrettable that the situation in the state is now both systemic and endemic.
“Hence, no amount of demonstrations or strikes move the political class to change for the better.
“The entitlements of workers in the organisations, like gratuities and pensions, are not even mentioned year after year to justify ones diligent services for 35 years.
“This has exposed pensioners to agonising deaths as a result of starvation,” he said.
Ojielo said that it was sad that while workers in core ministries were paid the N30, 000 minimum wage, “we have been excluded since February 2020.
“We are using this conference to call on the state government for the umpteenth time to address this discriminatory issue without further delay,” he said.
Ojielo further said that most of their members in different government agencies were treated like slaves.
“We are calling on our national leadership to as a matter of urgency lend a hand of comradery to us,” Ojielo said.
Responding, the Head of Service (HoS), Mr Ken Chukwuegbo, said that the state government was doing its best to ensure that workers in the state were happy.
Chukwuegbo, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Establishment, Mr Donatus Achi, said that the government planned to do more for workers within its limited resources.
He said that the State Government had no immunity against the economic downturn and other issues currently plaguing the world.
He contended that, in spite of the challenges, the State Government had continued to pay salaries on regular basis.
“Salary payment is one of the top priorities of this administration because workers deserve their wages,” Chukwuegbo said.
He listed other government’s gestures to workers to include training and retraining of workers, lifting of ban on conversions and advancements and refund of deductions for the National Housing Funds.
“What is needed now is a teamwork where every worker is expected to play their own part by coming to work early and discharging their duties effectively.
“In the above regard, your union has a great role to play in sensitising the workers to put in their best so that our state would move forward,” the HoS said. (NAN)
A.I
Tags: AUPCTRE Mr Ken Chukwuegbo Mr Timothy Ojielo
