(The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC). Photo by Channel Tv)
Tensions are rising in Anambra State as organised labour prepares to take industrial action in response to what workers describe as unexplained and arbitrary deductions from their monthly salaries by the state government.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), acting jointly as organised labour, are scheduled to meet on Thursday in Awka to determine their next course of action.
Civil servants in the state have continued to express distress over the situation, with the majority reportedly receiving far less than their expected monthly pay.
Workers who spoke on Wednesday said deductions ranging from N25,000 to as high as N48,000 are being made from their salaries each month, with no clear explanation provided by the government.
They traced the beginning of the problem to Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s response to the Monday sit-at-home compliance, during which some workers were suspended for up to six months without pay.
The workers expressed deep frustration, noting that despite diligently reporting to work particularly on Mondays, when attendance monitoring is said to be most stringent their salaries continue to be cut without justification.
They described the situation as particularly unbearable given Nigeria’s current economic climate, with rising transportation costs, inflation, and growing household expenses already stretching their finances to the limit.
One worker painted a grim picture of the hardship being endured, questioning how a family could survive on a monthly take-home of N22,000 under present conditions.
Workers lamented that basic necessities such as transportation, feeding, school fees, and rent have become increasingly difficult to manage on their diminished salaries, and called on the government to end what they described as inhumane treatment of public servants.
Labour leaders who spoke on the matter, though declining to be identified ahead of Thursday’s meeting, expressed frustration that a discussion held with the governor on May Day had yielded no results, with workers continuing to suffer.
They hinted that the situation could no longer be tolerated and promised that the outcome of their meeting would send a clear message, saying the world would hear from them afterwards.
