From Maurice Okafor, Enugu
The hope of retired Civil servants in Enugu state banking on payment of their gratuities for survival or establishing another source of living has been an illusion in the past few years. The expectations that commencement of payment of backlog of arrears which accumulated over the years will be soon is is far fetched.
The Chairman of Trade Union Congress(TUC),Enugu State Chapter, Comrade Ben Asogwa, has revealed that the economic crunch aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, compelled the present administration in Enugu state led by Governor Ugwuanyi to halt financial disbursement in that direction.
The Enugu State TUC chairman, Comrade Asogwa dropped this hints why answering questions from a group of journalists yesterday on what the organized labour is doing on allegIations of the state government’s undue approach to payment of salaries, ,pensions and gratuities to retired workers in in Enugu state.
He disclosed that Governor Ugwuanyi based on the complaint of the Organised Labour on the matter was releasing the sum of One hundred naira monthly to offset the accumulated wages to the effect, from where his predecessor stopped .since government is a continuum.. But since aftermath of the ugly effect of COVID-19, Governor Ugwuanyi frankly told the organized labour that his administration can no longer release any fund to enhance payment of accumulated gratuities of retired civil servants in Enugu state.
His words,” At our initial meeting, the Organised labour presented the problem of gratuity arrears to Governor Ugwuanyi. He approved a monthly disbursement of one hundred million naira(N100m) monthly for it,tasking that payment must start from where the last administration stopped. Governor Ugwuanyi released the said amount monthly until last year when COVID-19 started. till date it has not been re stated, “,Comrade Asogwa stated.
On issue of pension payment,Comrade Asogwa said retired Civil servants under the state civil service received monthly pensions as at when due but accepted that there is disparity against retired primary school teachers in the state.
According to him, the problem is derived from the fact that primary school teachers salaries falls within the alms of local government administration in Enugu state. That very often, after paying salaries, the Council chairmen will claim they have no left over to pay retired primary school teachers’ gratuities, pensions etc.
He assured that the organized labour will join in the struggle to ensure payment of minimum wage is extended to teachers and local government workers in the state.
On exclusion of government parastatals from consistent monthly wage bills of the state, Comrade Asogwa lamented that the parastatals originaafflly generates funds of their own in addition to monthly subventions from the state government. But with downward trend of the economy, most of the parastatals are no longer profitable and it is very unfortunate that some of the Directors convert the forth coming subventions for administrative purposes against payment of wage bills.
However, He said the Organized labour has pleaded with the state government to absorb members of staff of the affected parastatals into the central wage bill of the state and laws to effect are still on the process at the state house of assembly.
