* CRS Gov Ayade
by Edward Cobham,  Calabar

 Cross River State Government and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have disengaged the services of a consultants engaged in the verification of staff in the state civil service. This was part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reached between Labour and the Ministry of Local Government Affairs following the picketing  of the ministry by the joint action of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state over the non-payment of some local government workers for eight months.

 The statement made available to newsmen and signed by the State Chairman of NLC, Comrade (Pastor) John Ushie and his TUC counterpart, Clarkson Otu said, the constitution of the Administrative Reconciliatory Committee would take effect from January 31, 2017. It added that the committee shall comprise the Ministry of Local Government Affairs, the representatives from the Office of the Auditor-General for Local Government, Organised Labour and the consultants

 The statement further said, “The outstanding payment of salaries to the unpaid workers should be paid without further delay, the consultant should be disengaged forthwith and that the January 2017 salaries should be paid to all verified workers in the local government councils. Genuine staff of the councils should not be omitted from the payment”. The agreement emphasized that the Ministry of Local Government Affairs should ensure that the verified list and payment report from June to December, 2016 were collected from the consultants for the purpose of the reconciliation.

 In a related development, the Organised Labour in Cross River and the state government have agreed that a Joint Desk comprising staff of the state Ministry of Finance and representatives of Labour should be set up to address issues arising from payment of salaries for the months of November and December, 2016.

 This was contained in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at the end of a meeting held in the office of the Commissioner for Finance in Calabar at the wake of the picketing of the Ministry of Finance by Organised Labour following the non-payment of November and December salaries of some workers in the state.

 The MoU was signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Tina Banku Agbor, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Asuqua Ekpenyong and the Accountant General, Sir Joseph Adie for the State Government and the state Chairman of NLC, Comrade (Pastor) John Ushie, the state Chairman of TUC, Comrade Clarkson Otu, the state Chairman of the State Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (SJPSNC), Comrade Edim Oyongha, the State Secretary of NLC, Comrade (Chief) Ita Ayi and the state Secretary of SJPSNC, Comrade Julius Nkoji for the Organised Labour.

 It stated that all issues bordering on outstanding salaries and deductions would have to be addressed on or before the end of February, 2017, while both parties also agreed to scale up communication to avoid friction and misinformation. “Incremental difference in salaries of deserving workers in the state would be effected in February 2017

 “Automatic migration of pensioners from salary to pension payroll would be implemented in February 2017,” the MoU stated. The two parties further agreed to carry out and conclude joint verification on alleged unsolicited deductions of salaries of civil servants on or before the end of February 2017, stressing that no worker would be victimized for taking part in the picketing.

  They also commended the state government for regular and timely payment of workers’ salaries. The NLC leadership however warned that “if government refuses to adhere to the agreement as stated above, labour would be left with no other option than to re-embark on a greater industrial action.”