Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, on Friday, refuted claims made by Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, accusing the state government of anti-worker policies and inciting other governors against the proposed N70,000 minimum wage.
Ajaero had issued a strike notice over unresolved issues, including unpaid minimum wage, contributory pension deductions, and a special palliative allowance.
But in a press statement, Soludo’s Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, countered Ajaero’s allegations, emphasizing the governor’s commitment to improving workers’ welfare and working conditions.
According to him, Soludo’s administration has implemented various labour-friendly policies, including:
– A 10% salary increase in December 2022, making him the first governor to do so
– Prompt payment of pensions and gratuities, including clearing inherited arrears
– A temporary N12,000 monthly allowance to alleviate fuel subsidy removal pains
The statement read, “In fact, at no time did Soludo incite or influence other state governors against paying the proposed N70,000 minimum wage. Instead, he has always been sensitive to the welfare of workers. Even as the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, he was quite responsive to staff wellbeing.
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“Meanwhile, some of his government’s labour-friendly policies and achievements over the past two years as state governor include the increase in salaries as he was the first governor in Nigeria to approve a 10 per cent increase in workers’ salaries in December 2022.
“Payment of pensions and gratuities, under Soludo’s administration, pensioners have been receiving their dues promptly. The state government has consistently paid arrears of pensions and gratuities of workers in the civil service, including paying gradually the backlog inherited from previous administrations.
“In response to alleviating the pains of the fuel subsidy removal, the state government last year provided an additional N12,000 monthly allowance to state workers for four months, from September to December 2023. This action, which was planned to be temporary due to limited state resources, underscores the governor’s responsiveness to the immediate needs of workers.”
Soludo urged the NLC and workers to recognize his administration’s progress and initiatives, terming the proposed strike “unnecessary and counterproductive.”
He expressed openness to dialogue and collaboration to address concerns amicably, assuring that workers’ demands are being diligently addressed.
“The state government is open to meaningful dialogue and collaboration with the NLC to address any concerns amicably. We assure the NLC and all Anambra State workers that their demands and issues are being diligently addressed,” the statement revealed.
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