Rivers: Labour Unions, Wike heading for showdown

The Head of the Civil Service of Rivers State, Rufus Godwins has urged the organized labour to abide by the enabling labour laws in their planned strike over non-remittance of check-off dues of civil servants.

Godwins gave the charge while addressing journalists in reaction to an impending industrial action by the labour movement in Rivers state.

The number-one civil servant in the state said there was no genuine reason for labour unions in Rivers State to embark on strike when the state government was not indebted to its workers.

The Head of Service said the planned industrial action was intended to disrupt biometric verification exercise of the State Government.

He warned that Government will not tolerate any action that was capable of causing disaffection within the work force.

“How can you call out workers to go on strike because your check-up dues have not been remitted when your unions are in factions.

“How can you call out civil servants to come out and protest when civil servants salaries and allowances are not being owed by government. When government is doing everything to put civil servants in the front burner of the scheme of affairs.

“Out of about 1% of the entire populace in the state, we in the civil service constitute the bulk of the money that comes into the state through salaries and allowances for civil servants and pensioners. We should be grateful to the government for that. We should not allow ourselves to be used as cannon fodders,” Godwins said.

The Rivers State Head of service warned civil servants in the state against allowing themselves to be used to advance personal interest of labour union leaders.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress has denied being involved in a disagreement with the State Government over remittance of check-off dues of civil servants.

Chukwu Emecheta, who is the Vice Chairman of the Rivers NLC under the leadership of Beatrice Itubo, said at no time did the union threaten to embark on industrial action for whatever reason.

Emecheta, who is also the Chairman of the Joint Service Negotiating Council explained that he had only led a delegation of the affiliate unions of NLC to the office of the Commissioner for Finance Fred Kpakol for a meeting over non-remittance of deductions for the Contributory Pension Fund of civil servants.

He said the issue of deductions made from workers salaries with respect to the Federal Mortgage Bank were also raised at the meeting.

The Rivers NLC Vice Chairman disclosed that the union also held a meeting with the head of the State Civil Service Commission.