Various union leaders have
urged the Federal Government to give priority to the welfare of workers.
The union leaders, who spoke in separate interviews with newsmen recently on the sideline of the May Day celebration in Abuja, observed that workers’ welfare was poor across the country.
The President, National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Alhaji Ibrahim Khaleel, urged the three tiers of government to take the necessary measures to improve workers’ welfare.
According to Khaleel, some state governments are owing workers 10 months’ salaries.
“I urge government to step in to our immediate problem, which is the inability of government to pay workers salary as at when due.
“Government has failed in the payment of workers’ salaries, particularly the local governments.
“It is a serious challenge; the president needs to go back to the promise he made when he was sworn in on May 29, 2015.
“I recall he promised to address issues in the LG to make it more functional.
“We want the Federal Government to address the current challenges facing the working class people in the country.’’
Khaleel urged workers to see the May Day as a time of sober reflection, adding that workers should reflect on what they were able to achieve and what value they are able to add to the Nigeria project.
He also urged workers to seek effective ways of ensuring service delivery across the county, in order to create more wealth.
On his own part, the Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Amaechi Lawrence, FCT chapter, decried the high cost of living in the territory and urged the FCT Minister to look into it and provide more affordable houses for civil and public servants.
He also implored government to build more roads to reduce the traffic along the Nyanya-Mararaba Road.
The Chairman, Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association (NATA), Mr John Gabriel, said government should look into the issue of fuel scarcity and put an end to it.
“We want Nigeria to be a better place; there is also no fuel intermittently; so the prices of things are jacked up, even the cost of maintaining one’s car becomes higher.
“For this reason, many people park their cars at home, leaving our members with no job and no money to take home for our families,’’ Gabriel said.
The Chairman, National Union of Hotels and Personal Service Workers, Mr Jankat Pius, urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to pass the 2016 budget.
He said that the non-passage of the budget is affecting Nigerians negatively.
“There is no money in circulation and everything is hard in the country; I know good things don’t come easy but I believe government can do something to make the life of the people better,’’ Pius said.