Chairman of the association, Mr. Timothy Ojielo, disclosed during the State Delegates Conference, in Enugu, that most of the parastatals of the state government have no scheme and condition of service. He stressed that their workers are not scheduled for pension.
He said: “It is regrettable that the situation in the state is now both systemic and endemic. Hence, no amount of demonstrations or strikes move the political class to change for the better.
“The entitlements of workers in state parastatals and agencies, like gratuities and pensions, are not even mentioned year after year to justify one’s diligent services for 35 years. This has exposed pensioners to agonising deaths as a result of starvation.”
Ojielo stated that it is sad that while workers in state government ministries are paid the N30, 000 minimum wage, those at the parastatals have been excluded since February 2020.
“We call on the state government, for the umpteenth time, to address this discriminatory issue without further delay,” he said.
He said that most of their members working in different government agencies are treated like slaves.
“We are calling on our national leadership to, as a matter of urgency, help us,” he added.
In his speech, the Head of Service, Mr. Ken Chukwuegbo, explained that the state government is doing everything possible to ensure that workers in the state are happy.
Chukwuegbo, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Establishment, Mr. Donatus Achi, said that the government intended to do more for workers within its limited resources.
The head of the service explained that the state government is not immune to the economic downturn and other issues currently ravaging the world.
According to him, the state government has, in spite of challenges, paid its workforce on a regular basis.
“Salary payment is one of the top priorities of this administration because workers deserve their wages,” he said.
He listed other government gestures to workers to include, training and retraining of the workforce, lifting of the ban on conversions, advancements and refund of deductions of National Housing Funds.
“What is needed now is teamwork where every worker is expected to play their own part by coming to work early and discharging their duties accordingly,” Chukwuegbo said.
