BY GODWIN IJEDIOGOR
DELTA State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has promised that his administration would set up a committee to look into workers’ demand for salary increase in view of the current hardship in the country.
Oborevwori, who stated this in his address at this year’s Workers’ Day celebration, held at the Cenotaph, Asaba, on Wednesday, May 1, commended workers in the state for their support for the emergence of his administration and for the prevailing industrial harmony across the state.
He said his administration had always prioritised the welfare of workers in the state, promising to look into the issue of workers who were inadvertently omitted in the payment of promotion arrears.
Oborevwori said: “I have listened attentively to your requests and I have taken note of same; they are, no doubt, legitimate demands and as a responsible government, I will deliberate with my team on how best to address them within the limits of resources available to us.
“As a government, we have prioritised the welfare of our workforce, because it is my belief that a happy and well -motivated workforce is not only a catalyst for the growth and industrial development of any society, but also the bedrock for extended family setting and communal cohesion.
“This administration has already demonstrated its commitment to the welfare of serving and retired civil servants and we will continue to do so through our policies and actions.
“This, we have exemplified by the payment of salary arrears to the state civil servants and facilitation of N40billion facility to assist the local governments to pay the backlog of pensions and gratuity to local government workers and primary school teachers.”
The governor added: “However, I have taken note that some persons were omitted in the payment of promotion arrears; it wasn’t the fault of government, because I was given the full list and I was told that the amount was N5.6billion.
“I said it should be paid in four tranches, and it was paid. But since the NLC chairman has mentioned it in his speech, I will look into it.
“We are determined to deliver meaningful projects through aggressive infrastructural development, as can be seen from the numerous bridges, flyovers and road construction and reconstruction, building and renovation of schools, healthcare facilities and retooling and capacity building of the workforce and human capital development in general, across board.
“My administration is determined to deliver economic prosperity and an improved standard of living to all Deltans through collaborative effort and constructive engagement with organised Labour.
“Therefore, we solicit your unflinching support and cooperation to get us to this promised land and to the Delta State of our dreams.”
Earlier, in a joint address delivered by the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Goodluck Ofobruku, on behalf of his Trade Union Congress (YUC) counterpart, Comrade Martin Bolum, the Labour leaders thanked the governor for honouring workers in the state by attending the Workers’ Day in person.
They commended Oborevwori for his commitment to the welfare of workers and pensioners in the state, pledging their continued support for his administration’s MORE Agenda.
The Labour leaders also lauded the governor for the payment of promotion arrears owed workers to the tune of N5.6billion and appealled to him to consider those omitted and whose entitlements was put at N800million.
The NLC boss, while appreciating the governor for keeping to his campaign promises to workers, said: “We want promise keeper’s politicians, because as workers, we keep records of promises.”
This year’s May Day celebration, with the theme, ‘People First,’ featured march past by the various affiliate unions in the state.
