By Christian Ogbonnaya
Yenagoa – The Bayelsa chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says its struggles have yielded significant improvement on the well-being of workers in the state within the past four years.
Mr John Ndiomu, State Chairman of the congress, made the assertion while addressing journalists on Wednesday in Yenagoa on his achievements as leader of the congress in the past four years.
The labour boss, who is contesting for a second term in office, said that the achievement was over 75 per cent in the history of NLC in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state NLC elections is fixed to hold on Thursday, April 25 at Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre, Yenagoa.
“It has been a huge struggle since four years, but we have done our best ranging from the promotion of workers and payment of promotion arrears as at when due.
“I am a silent achiever, when I came in 2014, there were several irregularities in the Baylesa civil service but within this period due to the struggle, those irregularities are being reduced.
“The ongoing public sector reforms have been a step in the right direction and that is because of our struggles.
“Several ghost workers have been removed through that reform, some over age workers are flushed out of the system,” he said.
“The reform was due to wastage in the civil service system; as I am speaking, those waste are reduced and cost reduced drastically.
“A lot of employment have been carried out within the period; the labour union under me, has pressed on the government to employed about 1, 500 graduates into the state civil service to replace those that have retired.
“Regular payment of workers have been achieved and salary arrears have been cleared. So, I must tell you that we have achieved over 75 per cent improve on workers well-being.”
On the Labour House in the state, Ndiomu expressed happiness over the ongoing work at the site.
“If I come in as the new chairman of the congress come tomorrow, being Thursday, we will not relent in the struggle and we will make sure that the state Governor implements the N30, 000 new minimum wage as he promised,” he said.
“When I return as the labour leader, I will tackle the issue of gratuity for retired civil servants in the state,” Ndiomu said.