Angry reactions as Okorocha sacks 3,000 workers

By Chdi Nkwopara

OWERRI—Angry reactions have started trailing the sacking of over 3,000 workers in the 19 Imo State government parastatals, agencies and departments.
Some of the establishments visited by Vanguard, yesterday, looked like a grave-yard as some of the workers affected by the sack order were seen in groups, bemoaning their predicament.
Meanwhile, the organized labour in Imo State, had directed Imo workers in the 19 parastatals, agencies and departments, affected by the recent sack order  by the state government, to “report to their places of work and close at the approved time.”
The directive, which was signed by all the labour leaders in the state, including the state Chairman and Secretary of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Mr. Austin Chilakpu and Kenneth Onwuemeodo respectively, followed a government order sacking over 3,000 workers on its payroll.
“The workers are directed to, in line with the rules governing attendance to work, report to their various places of work and close at the approved time,” the labour leaders directed.
The aggrieved unionists equally insisted that “workers cannot be sacked or suspended or  given any form of punishment through radio announcement, a complete disregard to due process.
“It is also necessary to further point out that workers, who have worked up to the 15th of the month, cannot be suspended and backdated to January 4, 2016,” the unionists fumed.
Labour recalled that when the factional National President of the NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, visited Governor Rochas Okorocha in Government House, Owerri, last Wednesday, he not only promised that no worker in the state would be sacked or suspended, but also denied that salaries of Imo workers had been slashed.
 Culled from Vanguard