Workers of the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), Aba has called on Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu to pay their 14 Months salary before paying them the planned N30, 000 minimum wage.
Information gathered has it that, workers in ABSUTH and their counterparts in Abia Polytechnic, Aba and College of Education Technical, Arochukwu were yet to receive their arrears of salaries spanning between 10 months and above.
In the letter dated 14th January 2020, which was signed by the Joint Action Committee Secretary, Samuel Kalu and chairman, Inyama Sylvanus, ABSUTH workers insisted that the state government must clear their outstanding arrears of salaries before considering paying them the new minimum wage.
The letter reads “Arising from a General Congress of Abia State University Teaching Hospital Joint Unions, held on Tuesday, 14th January, 2020, the staff unanimously and vehemently refused to jump or skip any arrears of salaries in order to receive the N30, 000 (Thirty Thousand Naira) new minimum wage.
“It could be recalled that the government is owing to us 14 months arrears of salaries from November 2018 to December 2019.
“There is no how we will accept to be paid January 2020 in the guise of the new minimum wage.
“However, when this backlog of salaries is cleared, we will be happy to key into the consequential adjustment of the N30, 000 new minimum wages….”
Kalu said the letter followed information the unions got alleging that Ikpeazu has directed Abia Ministry of Finance and Accountant General’s office to prepare Jan. 2020 with minimum wage salary scale waiving the debts.
He said that the governor had not kept his June 17, 2019 promise of paying the backlog with current salaries which led to suspension of ABSUTH’s salary-debt-induced 7 months strike.
Kalu said if Abia government refuses to pay the backlogs of their salaries, it may force the unions back to down tools, adding that Ikpeazu should form a new policy decision to pay both old and new salaries.
The letter which the unions addressed to the governor, and copied the Head of Service, Ikpeazu’s Chief of Staff and deputy, ABSUTH’s CMD, NLC and TUC.
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They also made copied the Department of State Security (DSS), Abia Police Commissioner, Abia Health Commissioner and the state’s Accountant General.
