Civil servants in Cross River State have forfeited their promotion arrears amounting to N3.8 billion owed them by the state government for four years, between 2012 and 2016.
They want the government to use the money for the development of the state.
Mr John Ushie, Chairman of the state branch of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), disclosed this on Sunday in his speech at the 2016 May Day celebration in Calabar.
The theme for this year’s May Day is: `The Working Class And The Quest for Social Economic Revival’.
Ushie said that the decision was taken after the union had observed that the state government would not be able to pay the arrears because of the dwindling revenue accruing to the state.
“The labour leaders and workers have observed with keen interest the enormous responsibilities shouldered by Gov. Ben Ayade of the state in the area of projects execution.
“Following this development, workers have decided to support this administration by sacrificing all monies accruing from arrears of promotion within 2012-2016 to the tune of about N3.8 billion.
“The organised labour in the state is grateful to Governor Ayade for the prompt payment of workers’ salaries in the state,’’ he said.
The NLC Chairman urged the state government to commence the immediate recruitment of young graduates into the state Civil Service to fill the existing vacancies.
He also appealed to the state government to revive the state Printing Press which according to him, had been in a `sorry state’ for years.
Ushie urged the state government to give priority to the payment of gratuities to retirees.
Responding, Ayade assured that he would immediately address all the issues raised by the union.
According to him, his administration is labour-friendly, saying that labour comes first before `infrastructure and sky scrapers’.
“My administration will continue to place premium on the welfare of civil servants in the state. To me, labour comes first before infrastructure and sky scrapers because a worker deserves his wages,” he said.
