Kogi State government has paid the December 2018 and January 2019 salaries and pensions to its workers and pensioners.
Reacting to this development, the organised labour- Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC)- commended the government in a statement issued in Lokoja on Sunday.
The statement, signed by the state Chairman of the NLC, Mr Onu Edoka and his TUC counterpart, Mr Ranti Ojo, described the payment of the two month salaries and pensions as a huge relief.
“The payment of the two months salary arrears to workers and pensions would go a long way to reduce the suffering of the workers and pensioners,” the statement said.
The labour leaders applauded government for keeping to its promise to defray the outstanding salary and pensions being owed workers and retirees.
With the payment of the two months salaries, the workers in Kogi State are now being owed between six and 37 months salary arrears.
“We appeal to the state government to sustain the current tempo of payment to enable it settle all outstanding salary arrears in due course,” Edoka and Ojo said in the statement.
They, however, called for an improvement in the percentage of salary being paid to teachers and local government workers.
“Any percentage short of what was agreed with Labour will not be acceptable,” the statement added.
The organised labour pledged its unequivocal loyalty to the government, but stressed that its main concern remained the welfare and well- being of workers and pensioners.
They also appealed to the Federal Government to expedite action on the release of the N30.8billion balance of the bailout fund to the state government.
