The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has stated that the Abia state government has not only failed to implement the minimum wages, it has declined to pay workers as and when due.
The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, said this during a public lecture organised by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria on Friday, adding that judges in Abia were being owed 18 months, while doctor were owed 12 months’ salaries.
He recalled that he recently ran into a Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal, who told him about the sorry state of affairs in the Abia State Judiciary.
He said the judge told him that because judges in Abia state had not been paid for about 18 months, she had to send stipends to support some of them.
He also described the condition under which workers in Abia State currently operate, as unfriendly.
Wabba said, “In that state too, doctors have not been paid for more than 12 months. That is the reality, and schools are closed. And she (the Judge) demanded to know what the labour movement in the State and the NLC were doing on the Abia case.
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“I quickly checked and found out that the NLC Chairman in the state has retired from service. But, because he is doing the bidding of the government, he approached the government in writing to give him an extension.”
Wabba added that when they heard of the development, the NLC National Executive Council objected to the Abia State Chairman’s request on the grounds that he had retired and that the position of the law was that a retired person cannot continue to lead workers.
The NLC president said rather than allow reason prevail, the Abia NLC Chairman went to court and obtained a perpetual injunction retaining him in office.
He argued that in such a case, the court had failed in its responsibility to always dispense justice.
Wabba said that the economy of nations flourished where labour rights were protected.
He urged the court to always dispense justice without fear or favour to ensure a harmonious relationship in the workplace.
“There is a relationship between a good industrial system and productivity and the ability to attract foreign investment. No investor will come to a country where there is uncertainty, where there is no opportunity for you to seek redress for any wrong”, Wabba said.
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