NLC Pickets ABSUTH, ABIAPOLY, ABIALINE Management Over Non Payment Of Workers Salaries

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Wednesday, December 21st, 2016

By IGNATIUS OKPARA, Umuahia

UMUAHIA NIGERIA, (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Leaders of the Organized Labour Unions in Abia State, South- East Nigeria, have called on governor Okezie Ikpeazu, to as a matter of urgency sack the management of the state owned University Teaching Hospital, ABSUTH, Abia Polytechnic, and the state’s transport company, ABIALINE, over the inability of their managements to pay their workers despite the monies the agencies generates.

Chairman of the state chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Uchenna Obigwe, who made the call on behalf of the labour unions Wednesday in Umuahia, the Abia state capital said that the union can’t understand why an agency that is generating money can’t pay workers salaries as at when due.

The State NLC boss, spoke during a meeting with Governor Ikpeazu to deliberate on how to deploy the recently received refund of N10.6b by the state from the excess deductions on World Bank loans.

The chairman said: “My Governor, Abialine is owing workers 12 months, we can’t understand why because every day, you see ABIA LINE buses on the road, carrying passengers and goods to every part of the country.

“We all enter Abia line, and we don’t enter it on credit, we pay our transport fare. We have picketed Abia line, yet we can’t understand why they are owing.

“So we think that sacking the current management and bringing in new management that is ready to work with the state and pay up salaries will be the appropriate thing to do now.

“The same thing goes to the management of ABIAPOLY and ABSUTH, students of ABIAPOLY are paying schools fees and other fees which the management of the school demanded; we can’t also understand why the management can’t pay workers.

“Sick people who go the ABSUTH pay for their medical bills, we also can’t understand why the management of the hospital can’t pay salaries.

“So we think you should sack the management of these agencies.” Obigwe stated.

However, after listening to the labour leaders, Governor Ikpeazu, tactically refused to make any comment on the request.