….Workers complain of non – payment of rent enhancement arrears, others
…. Delay in payment due to shortfall in revenue generation – Management
By Dennis Udoma, Uyo
Workers of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) in Akwa Ibom, have gone on strike to protest what they call their management’s insensitivity towards staff members.
The strike, if not quickly resolved, threatens to disrupt the celebration of the World Post Day for the South South zone slated to hold in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital on Friday, October 8, 2021.
The World Post Day 2021 has as its theme: “Innovation, Integration and Inclusion,” and the Management of Nigerian Postal Service, Benin Zonal Headquarters, led by the Zonal Manager, NIPOST Benin Zone, Mrs. Loretto Nwakanma, paid Gov. Udom Emmanuel a courtesy call on Wednesday to intimate him of the plan to celebrate the Day for the zone in Uyo.
Mrs. Nwakanma was received on behalf of the Governor at the Government House by the Deputy Governor, Mr. Moses Ekpo. The World Post Day is marked annually on October 9.
The protest, which began as early as 7 am on Thursday, saw the aggrieved workers barricading the main entrances into their office premises located within Ibom Plaza.
The industrial unrest is a joint action by the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSACGOC) and the National Union of Postal and Telecommunications Employees (NUPTE), Akwa Ibom State branches.
Speaking to newsmen in Uyo on Thursday, the Chairman, SSACGOC in Akwa Ibom, Comrade Sunny Dickson Jnr complained of management’s insensitivity to workers’ welfare.
He said, since 2017, almost five years, the management has refused to pay them what he called “Rent Enhancement Allowances.”
According to him, “we are protesting management’s insensitivity towards staff members of NIPOST. Our complaint is about the non-payment of our rent enhancement allowances since 2017.
“Our category of staffers affected by the non – payment per annum include: GL. 1 – 7 (N10, 000), GL. 7 – 9 (N15, 000), GL. 10 – 13 (N30, 000), GL. 14 and above (N250, 000 to N300, 000).
“Also, repatriation allowances to retired members have not been paid also coupled with non availability of working materials in the office. As a result of this, our staff in the EMS department face frequent attacks by members of the public, for our inability to deliver prompt service”.
Comrade Dickson, who is also Vice – Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Akwa Ibom State said, the union had previously given a 21 days ultimatum to the management in Abuja, indicating their grievances but, the response to them was nothing to write home about.
He said, based on management’s reluctance to address the issues raised, the National Administrative Council (NAC), Abuja gave the management another seven days ultimatum, which the top management was still not forthcoming on hence, the strike by the workers.
“We are not happy and have vowed not to go back to work except management pays our arrears of allowances,” he stated.
However, the management in an acknowledgement letter to both presidents of the unions dated September 15, 2021 and signed by the Director, HRM, K. U. Matankari, on behalf of the Post Master General/CEO of NIPOST, Abuja has advised the workers to remain calm, as efforts were being made to address the issues.
The letter also advised that, “management is still in the process of payment of the outstanding rent enhancement allowance. The seeming delay in action is due to the shortfall in revenue generation”.
