City Crime
Fresh Industrial Crisis Looms In Abia Poly
The Abia State Polytechnic is being threatened by a fresh industrial crisis over non-payment of workers salary in the last three months by the management.
A senior lecturer in the school, told newsmen under anonymity in Aba yesterday that the workers were already planning a show down with the management if the situation persists.
He said the workers received their last salaries in July, blaming their predicament on inadequate subvention from the state government.
“The truth is that the subvention from government is not enough to even pay workers salary.”
The lecturer explained that prior to the last elections, the state government promised to increase the institution’s subvention to N100 million monthly, whereas its monthly wages was N145 million.
He noted with regret that the institution had not received more than one quarter of N100 million since the promise was made, “which has not even been regular”.
“We are in a quandary as to how to source for money to pay staff salaries since the internally generated revenue comes mainly from students’ school fees and others.
“Government wants us to rely on the internally generated revenue, which is not even enough to pay salaries, not to talk of other things”.
He explained that it was in order to meet up its financial obligations that the authority of the institution recently increased school fees from N20,000 to N47,000 but noted that the situation still remained precarious. “We are not there yet, and it will not be in the interest of anybody to contemplate any increment in school fees again.”
The source further said that the school authority last month borrowed N100 million from a new generation bank to be able to pay workers salary for July.
“I don’t know how we are going to repay the loan. Months back, we used to borrow N50 million from the same bank to augment what we had to pay salaries.
“Right now, our fate is hanging in the balance, because if we don’t repay the loan, the bank may not be favourably disposed to advancing any loan to us again.” In her reaction, the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs Ifenyinwa Chika, told our correspondent that the workers were being owed salaries for August and September.
Debunking any strike threats by the workers, she said she was in touch with the Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) who had assured her that there was no iota of truth in the report.
“I am not aware of any intending strike by the workers.” She urged the workers to bear with the school authority, promising that efforts were being made to address the challenge.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has felicitated Muslim faithful as they celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad, urging them to show love, tolerance, perseverance, patriotism and commitment to the growth and development of the State.
Governor Fubara, in a message in Port Harcourt, the State capital, urged the Muslim Ummah to use the lessons of the 12th day of the third month of Rabi’ al-Awwal to reflect on the core teachings of the Holy Prophet, and interceed for one another as exemplified by the sacrifices He made for humanity.
The Governor charged the faithful in the State and across the country to commit to ensuring that they continue to benefit from the genuine policies and programmes of government put in place to make live easy for all living and doing business in the State, without discrimination.
He said, “I, on behalf of the government and good people of Rivers State, heartily felicitate all Muslim faithful on the occasion of the Eid-el-Maulud celebration, to honour the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, and urge for prayers for the revival and unity of Nigeria.
“The occasion, yet again, provides an opportunity to reflect deeply on the need for greater application of the Prophet’s teachings bordering on piety, charity, patience, resilience, justice and peaceful coexistence,” he added.
Governor Fubara assured the Muslim community in Rivers State, and indeed, all residents of the resolve of his administration to sustain the tempo of providing critical projects and social services to improve the quality of life of the people.
Workers in the nation’s telecommunication-s industry, under the aegis of the Private Telecommunications and Communications Senior Staff Association, PTECSSAN, will today begin an indefinite nationwide strike over sack, and poor working conditions, among others.
Among the employees going on strike include field maintenance engineers, transmission engineers, customer service engineers, fibre engineers, and other critical staff.
There are fears that the strike could disrupt telecommunications services nationwide if not resolved quickly.
The Tide’s source gathered that PTECSSAN, has pending issues with no fewer than 39 telecoms servicing companies including the sack of three of its members by Specific Tools & Technology Limited.
The 39 companies provide critical support services to the telecommunications operators in the country.
The Tide’s source was informed that the union had earlier given a seven-day strike notice to the affected companies to address its demands or risk indefinite strike.
Among PTECSSAN’s demands include immediate recognition of the fundamental right of the employees to freely associate with the union, immediate recognition of the union as negotiating body for the employees on workers welfare and immediate remittance of membership dues into the union’s account as earlier provided.
The demands equally are immediate recognition of the years of service of these workers, immediate commencement of appropriate pensions deduction and remittance of same as required by the Pension Act, immediate approval of the National Health Insurance Scheme that covers the employees, their spouses and four of their dependents, immediate enrolment of Union members in the Group Life Insurance as stipulated in the Pension Reform Act 2004, Section 9(3).
The union is also demanding immediate implementation of leave and leave allowance in accordance with the international best practices, immediate negotiation on review of salaries of the workers to meet the economic reality in the country today, and immediate provision Operational Vehicles or in the alternative immediate negotiation on review of the Self Drive/Self Rental to meet the economic reality in the country today.
Also in the union’s demands are immediate stoppage of 24-hour job and introduction of work hours in line with the international best practices, immediate stoppage of work overload (combining passive tasks to theirs) on the workers, and immediate adherence to occupational health and safety for the workers in line with international best practices.
Announcing the commencement of strike, General Secretary of PTECSSAN Abdullahi Okonu said “We have made every effort to engage with employers, but our legitimate demands have been disregarded.
“This strike is a last resort to protect our members’ rights and well-being. We urge the public to understand our position and support our struggle for fair treatment.”
While pleading with Nigerians to bear with the Union throughout the period of the strike, PTECSSAN “assures that it will engage with employers and the government to resolve the issues, but the strike will continue until their demands are met.”