The Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, has planned an emergency meeting with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress to discuss the welfare of workers.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, on Monday, quoted Dickson as saying the meeting would hold on 6th May 2016.
He said the proposed meeting was part of the government’s efforts to foster the existing relationship between the government and labour movement in the state.
The governor said the meeting would, among other issues, focus on the welfare and future of workers and other major concerns of workers in the state.
He said the leaderships of NLC, TUC and all affiliate bodies as well as top government functionaries and other invited guests were expected to attend the meeting.
Dickson also felicitated with labour on the occasion of the 2016 Workers’ Day celebration and expressed satisfaction with the existing level of understanding of the prevailing economic situation and the harmonious working relationship between workers and the government.
However, the Chairman of the NLC in the state, Mr. Ndiomu John-Bipre, confirmed the proposed meeting but insisted that the labour unions still stood by the 21-day ultimatum handed to the government to pay all outstanding salaries to the entire workers and pensioners of the state government.
The unions had warned that there would be industrial disharmony if the government failed to pay up all outstanding salaries owed the workers at the end of the 21-day ultimatum, which began on April 28.
Indications that all was not well with the workers emerged on Sunday as they tied black hand bands on their arms and refused to file out for the usual march past and fanfare that hitherto characterised May Day celebrations to protest unpaid salaries.
Currently, workers in the state civil service are owed four months’ salaries, employees of local government councils are battling to survive over 12 months of unpaid wages while pensioners are owed about seven months.
