NLC President Warns Okorocha Over Plans To Sack 4,000 Workers In Imo State (UPDATE)

. BY GRACE IGWEANYI

The national leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)and Trade Union Congress (TUC) and leaders of the NLC in the South East and South-South zones today, January 13,2016 fired warning shots at the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha over plans by the latter to downsize the Imo workforce.

Waheeb Ayuba, the NLC president who led a powerful delegation of the NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other labour leaders to Owerri told Imo workers that plans by the State government to sack some of them is not realistic.

He said the State government has no right to sack any worker, stating that it is regrettable that the State government has fractured its relationship with workers in the State.

Ayuba said the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) decided to lead a powerful delegation to Imo State because the State government has not shown transparency in its dealings with the workers.

He said he is not convinced that the N26 billion naira bailout funds approved for the State by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN to offset the backlog of workers’ salaries has not been effectively put to use by the State government.

Ayuba spoke against the backdrop of protests and street procession embarked upon by workers in the State over plans by the State government to sack 4,000 workers from the State workforce.   

INNONEWS.COM learnt that after briefing the workers, the NLC team left for Government House, Owerri to meet Governor Okorocha. Some of the workers claimed their leaders from Abuja will return to address them again later today.

However, some workers who spoke on condition of anonymity claimed that the State government wants to reduce the staff strength of each Ministry in the State to 150 workers and has pegged 45 years as retirement age in contrast to 60 years prescribed by the Civil Service Rules.