NLC accuses Bello of anti-workers policies

The Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) yesterday accused Governor Yahaya Bello of formulating policies that are counter-productive to the progress of Kogi State civil servants.

The state NLC Chairman, Onu Edoka, who spoke at the 2016 Workers Day said since Bello assumed position as governor the civil service had been virtually closed down as a result of unending screening exercises.

In his words: “Top civil servants who should ordinarily provide directions for the public service to operate have been on compulsory leave for over three months, leaving the state government rudderless, with unpaid backlogs of five months salaries and a starving populace.”

Edoka also enumerated other unresolved issues to include harmonisation of pensions and payment of gratuity to retired Kogi workers as well as the reconstitution of Kogi Pensions Board with technocrats on pension issues in place of politicians to manage pensions matters.

He listed the demands of the NLC to include payment of outstanding bonuses for Teaching Service Commission staff and implementation of promotions/annual incremental rate.

Others, he said include the demand for the independence of the judiciary by the staff of Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria, the challenge of basic education and welfare of primary school teachers and that of the Parliamentary Staff Union of Nigeria.