Delta workers demand improved welfare

Asaba – Civil servants in Delta have called on the State Government to improve on the welfare of workers in order to ensure better service delivery.
The workers made the call on Tuesday in Asaba in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as part of their 2016 expectations from the government.
Some of them, who spoke with NAN, noted that improved welfare package for workers would spur them to redouble their efforts towards assisting the government to actualise its policies and programmes.
Mr Vincent Odiase, a civil servant, said: “In the last few years, welfare of workers to an extent had been neglected and this is affecting their output.
“I will appeal to this present administration to try and improve on the welfare of workers.
“This will help to raise their commitment to their jobs and also assist the government in actualising its dreams in terms of policies and programmes.’’
Mrs Agnes Odun, another civil servant, commended the Federal Government for regular payment of workers’ salaries.
However, she said that apart from payment of salaries, government needs to seriously look into the issue of workers welfare, especially in the areas of housing and car loans.
“With the salaries we are being paid today, how does government expect us to build our houses or even buy a car when we are battling with the upkeep of the home, our children school fees from the same meagre salaries?
“The government should consciously look into the welfare of workers by providing them with housing and car loans to enable them live comfortably,’’ she said.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
Another civil servant, Mr Peter Umukoro, said: “One major challenge facing civil servants in the state in the last three years is lack of training.
“I cannot remember when I attended training last and how do you expect me to improve on my job when I do not have the opportunity to be trained?’’
Umukoro therefore appealed to the state government to ensure that civil servants in the state were given adequate training in order to boost their performance in the service.
Mrs Hope Aganuzor, a civil servant in the state civil service, called for a review of the workers’ salaries, adding that “the N18,000 minimum wage is nothing to write home about’’.
“In Asaba, the cost of accommodation is high, feeding is expensive and even sending our children to school is expensive,’’ she said. (NAN)