By Daniel Tyokua
The staff of Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) on Tuesday protested non – implementation of the new salary structure.
The workers blocked entrance into the board making the Director and visitors stranded.
Speaking on behalf of the Board, the Assistant Director, Udeme Umanah who addressed newsmen, said: ” AEPB is an autonomous agency established under AEPB Acts of 1997. The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) wants AEPB to be a department under the administration. The Act provided that the Board employs staff and others can be on secondment. The Director of AEPB is determined by the FCT Minister.
” Despite the work functions that are very sensitive and hazardous, the National Salary and Income Wages Commission recommend CONHESS salary structures to AEPB. AEPB staff are grouped into two, the environment
“The presidential committee approved the same salary structures as the National Salary and Income Wages Commission which was forwarded to FCTA in 2021.
They commence the CONHESS salary structures in from January 2020. The Health, Agric, Social Development Secretariat, and FCT-IRS earn different salary structures they have had any trouble.
“We gave the administration 21 days notice to implement the salary structures for AEPB, we gave them seven days and finally, we gave them three days notice. It was after the expiration of the three days notice that the Minister called us , and agreed to implement the salary structures and pleaded that we should not go on strike and that we should give them two weeks to sort it out.
“By last Friday, our two weeks noticed expires and by Monday by, we embarked in an indefinite strike and we are not ready to go back until they implement our salary structures. “
