Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has assured workers in the state of improved welfare, better working conditions and extra pay at the end of the year to enable them meet the financial strains during the yuletide season.
Giving the assurance on Thursday at the 2014 Workers’ Day (May Day) celebration in Asaba, Governor Uduaghan observed that workers deserved to be motivated and appreciated for the roles they are playing in ensuring increased productivity, stable government and virile economy.
He disclosed that the extra pay package, which will be the first of its kind in the state, was to encourage them to always put in their best, emphasizing, “Let me assure the workers that at the end of the year, we will work out something extra, definitely, there will be extra payment for the workers.”
He acknowledged that unemployment has become a global phenomenon, explaining that leaders of countries have been forced to resign because of their inability to tackle unemployment.
“The biggest challenge today is unemployment, it is a worldwide phenomenon and as a state, we are working hard to reduce the number of unemployed citizens,” the Governor said, reiterating, “Under the Delta Beyond Oil, we have been able to create opportunities for our women and youths to be engaged and become employers of labour.”
The Governor used the occasion to disclose that his administration will employ more teachers and health workers within the next few weeks in addition to the ongoing employment into the Delta State Civil Service.
Uduaghan lamented that some unscrupulous persons were trying to thwart government’s good intention to conduct fresh recruitment into the state’s civil service by collecting money from prospective job seekers before the exercise even begins.
He warned that anybody caught collecting money from job seekers would be made to face the full wrath of the law, stating that his administration will continue to employ qualified Deltans “based on availability of fund and declared vacancies.”
The Governor commended the organised labour for choosing ‘Peace and Unity: Panacea For Sustainable National Development’ as the theme of this year’s celebration and urged workers in particular and all Deltans to be security conscious, disclosing that a security committee has been set up to deal with the menace of cattle rearers and strangers who do not have genuine reason to be in the state.
“Be mindful of who you take as labourers, house helps, security men, those you collect money from to live in your uncompleted buildings and those we admit into our communities because, they may be dangerous to us,” the Governor warned and urged all Deltans to report all strange movements and faces to security operatives.
Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Delta State, Comrade Williams Akporeha in his address commended the Uduaghan’s administration for converting a large number of casual workers into the state’s main workforce among other gestures towards, workers as well as drew attention to other issues bothering on staff welfare.
Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state, Comrade Mike Arinze on his part assured Governor Uduaghan of the continual support of organised labour in his administration’s quest to finish strong.
