PENGASSAN'll continue to fight for workers rights ~Addah
The need for PENGASSAN not to relent in its struggle for the eradication of enslavement of Nigerian workers has again been stressed.
This was the position of the state secretary of Nigeria Labour Congress, Prince Williams Addah while speaking with The Port Harcourt Telegraph in his office in Port Harcourt.
Comrade Addah who spoke with this reporter when his views were sought on how some companies in the state are enslaving their workers by under paying them and the effort labour has taken to arrest such situation, said labour cannot work without information to salvage workers.
“Workers interest and welfare is the most paramount issue”, he said adding that as a body they will not hesitate to take action when they are undermined.
He said in most cases salaries are negotiated by both the employer and the employee as there are basic salary structure for each level, mostly in the civil service.
Any company or employer that pays less than what is generally obtainable should be considered as exploiting its workforce and thus underpaying them which is not accepted by the organized labour.
Addah admonished workers who would accept employment to come to term with his/her employer, observing that it would be wrong to turn round to complain of under payment after accepting, the offer without proper terms of agreement.
As a worker, he said you have the right to ask for upward review of salary that will embrace all types of allowances especially in the private sector, when you might have spent two years and above, but government fixes its basic salary.
Labour cannot identify those erring companies unless they are given information he said and noted that PENGASSAN is under the Trade Union Congress (TUC) which he believed the union will not relent until the affected staff and companies are rectified.
The secretary revealed that some of these companies will not increase workers basic salary, but would rather give flamboyant allowances, while some end all the remuneration on the basic.
He advocated that workers should be given the right basic than allowances which will not be of benefit when the person is being relieved or retired.
Addah perceived Federal Government's amnesty as a welcome development and thereby called on the militants to embrace the offer by reciprocating the presidents' gift in order to bring in lasting peace in the region as to accelerate the desired development.Comrade Williams said he believed the state government will put the right and qualified person to head the Niger Delta Development Commission (N.D.D.C.).
