Rivers NLC Secretariat

The Rivers State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the closure of its secretariat by the state government, Concise News reports.

This news medium understands that the state government sealed off the secretariat on Sunday because it is carrying out general inspections and structural integrity evaluation or tests before the expiration of the defects liability period.

In a statement on Monday, the state NLC Chairperson, Beatrice Itubo, accused the state government of threatening it over the implementation of the new minimum wage.

Itubo said, “Our secretariat was sealed about 9pm yesterday (Sunday), arising from the fact that we asked the state government to reconvene a meeting of the Minimum Wage (Implementation) Committee.”

“That was what triggered them and the next thing, the Commissioner for Information went on air, saying that we have been bought over by politicians from Abuja and they will deal with us, we will face dare consequences.

“The same evening by 9pm, they came and sealed the secretariat,” she added.

According to the NLC leader in Rivers, the government did not consult the labour leaders before taking the final decision that led to the implementation of the minimum wage.

Itubo alleged that the government threatened to punish the union rather than going back to the discussion table,

She said, “They (the government) went and implemented a minimum wage that we never signed, that we didn’t agree and at the end of the day, workers are complaining that what they paid was nothing because people on the same salary grade level are earning different salaries.

“So, we asked them to reconvene so that we can come up and agree on something so that we can be able to explain to our members when we are asked.”

. Minimum Wage: Rivers NLC Reacts To Closure Of Secretariat Follow Concise News.