In Anambra State, the organised labour groups such as the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress have demanded that the state governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, address worker welfare issues within seven days.
The leaders of the two labour unions, Humphrey Nwafor (NLC) and Chris Ogbonna (TUC), signed a joint communiqué on Wednesday, stating that not meeting their demands might endanger the prevailing industrial peace and harmony in the state.
They criticized the contributory pension scheme in the state, calling it a "scam" due to workers' salaries being deducted without government remittance and retired workers facing difficulties in accessing the deducted amount.
Without the constitution of the board to regulate the activities of Pension Fund Administrators, they highlighted that deductions since 2018 were retained in government coffers.
Hence, the workers demanded the immediate suspension of the deductions of the contributory pension scheme from workers’ salaries and the immediate refund of those monies deducted from workers’ salaries.
They also urged for the immediate dissolution of the Ndi-Olu microfinance board due to their alleged participation in inhumane and fraudulent activities. They continued by calling on the government to establish a panel to investigate the bank's activities, such as deductions from workers' salaries for recapitalization and failure to remit shares owed to workers in Anambra State.
In their statement, the labour leaders also emphasized the need for the immediate appointment of permanent secretaries to ensure the efficient running and administration of the civil service. They criticized the state government for its insensitivity towards workers' welfare and growth, pointing out the absence of permanent secretaries for two years and the use of three permanent secretaries to manage 22 MDAs.
In view of the aforementioned issues, organized labor has requested that these concerns be addressed within seven days starting from Wednesday, stating that failure to meet this demand may lead to a lack of industrial peace and harmony in Anambra State.
