May Day: Organized labour bemoan dearth of workers in Edo civil service

By Editor

May 01, 2023

The organized labour in Edo State on Monday bemoaned the dearth of staff in the state civil and public sector. 

Charles Momoh, the Acting State chairman of Trade Union Congress (TUC) made the remarks during the May Day celebration in Benin City. 

Momoh noted that as a result of the dearth of  staff in the state civil service, one worker now  performs  the work of five or ten men. 

According to him, it is no longer news that ministries are understaffed  and as a result of this, one man does the work of five to ten men in our offices making the work very excruciating and uninteresting. 

"We acknowledged the effort you have made to employment but Mr Governor, please employ more workers to the ministries and classrooms so that our output can be improved. 

"Let those that have been given job be made permanent especially EdoStar and EdoBest in schools", he said. 

The TUC chairman who also lamented the lack of infrastructures in the state's public schools noted that there are no seats,laboratories, libraries, good office for principals, teachers as well as non-academics like cleaners, gardeners', stenographer, library attendance, clerical staff among others. 

On his part, Comrade Odion Olaye, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), condemned the stagnation in the promotion of health workers in the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency since the past four to five years. 

Odion also condemned the discrepancy in salary payment that exist across the different local governments. 

The NLC chairman, who described the recent intervention in employment in the state like a tip of the iceberg compared to the vacancies that exist, however, appealed to the state government to direct the immediate recruitment of more staff into the state public and civil service. 

The leadership of the organized labour, however, commended the state government for the prompt payment of workers' monthly salaries, the N40,000 minimum wage, regular payment of pension among others. 

In his remarks, the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki described workers as "unsung heroes of the society.

Obaseki said his government will continue to prioritize workers welfare and ensure that they are fairly treated so that their take home pay can  "take them home". 

"Our government has kept faith with prompt and regular payment of staff salaries and retirees in the state in the last six years. 

"As a tradition, salaries must be paid latest 26th day of every month and if there are holidays or ceremonies, we will make sure we pay workers before those ceremonies so that they will have enough to celebrate," he added.