Workers resume strike, paralyse government, business activities in Cross River

Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade

Government and economic activities in Cross River State were yesterday paralysed as workers resumed their suspended strike in spite of threats by the state government to effect no-work-no- pay policy.

A statement last weekend by Special Adviser Administration, Governor’s Office, Mark Obi, had cautioned civil servants to remember the no-work-no-pay law and warned them to reverse the decision to embark on industrial action.

He, however, appealed to the organised labour to shelve the proposed strike and give government time to implement the agreement earlier reached in the interest of the state.

Apart from the governor’s office where the governor reported for duty in the morning hours, all ministries, agencies, departments and other parastatals were locked as the striking workers stayed at home at the instance of the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Chairman, Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) in the state, Thomas Igbang said: “The strike resumed yesterday as the state government failed to implement the agreement in their meeting of May 30.

“So, it is a resumption of the last industrial action. We are embarking on strike over all the unresolved issues, especially the promotion that was suspended and this strike is indefinite.”

The workers also pointed out that the state government failed to use the N11 billion Paris Club refund money to meet some of their demands.The NLC, Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) had on May 30 declared an indefinite strike but with the intervention of Governor Ben Ayade who had a meeting with labour leaders and chaired by the Deputy Governor, Prof. Ivara Ejemot Esu.
 
It was also agreed that the Commissioner for Finance, Accountant General and organised labour would investigate the deductions from staff salaries and stop same if confirmed.

Meanwhile, The Guardian observed that the chairmen of NLC, TUC and other labour leaders switched off their phones since the weekend obviously to avoid any pressures from government to call off the strike until their demands are met.