Cross River State workers have suspended a 31-day strike, which saw all government offices, including courtrooms and schools closed.
Addressing journalists on Thursday, November 11, 2021, at the Secretariat of Association of Senior Civil servants of Nigeria ASCSN/TUC, the chairman Of Joint Public Service Negotiating Council JNC, Comrade Godwin Otei, stated they agreed to suspend the strike due to the meeting with the Traditional Rulers Council, TRC, which mediated for peace between labour and government.
He said they were calling off the strike in the interest of the masses so that there could be room for the implementation of the agreements so far reached.
Otei said: “The State has never had it this bad in the state civil service. Every aspect of the lives of Cross Riverians were affected, everything depreciated.
“The hope of retirees and their gratuity has become an illusion, we as Civil Servants are seen as a pariah, once you want to get a facility from the bank, and they ask you where you work if you mention civil servant, you can never get the loan because of how the administration reduce the service.
“Labour has agreed to wait for another five months to see if the government will fulfill all we have agreed and we did this in the interest of the people, this will go down as one of the longest strikes in the history of our dear state, as we stayed home for about 31 days.
John Ukpebi, the Cross River NLC chairman, also confirmed the suspension of the strike for five months.
Monday Ogbodum, the TUC chairman, said: “Just like NLC and JNC Chairmen have stated, we are not calling of the action. It’s just a suspension and we shall keep faith with the government for five months to see if they are they are sincere.”
