By Our Correspondent
The Delta State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), under the factional leadership of Comrade Williams Akporeha has called for urgent measures by relevant government agencies to offset arrears of over five years salaries and allowances being owed to workers of the Delta Steel Company (DSC), Aladja, Delta State.
The Delta State factional chairman of the NLC, Comrade Akporeha who stated this after meeting recently with officials of DSC’s new management, Premium Steel and Mines Limited, frowned at the unpatriotic attitude of the concerned Federal government agencies. According to him, “Congress is very worried and it is sad that DSC workers have become the sacrificial objects for the bureaucratic ritual between Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE)”.
Comrade Akporeha who decried the plight of the DSC workers, said, “At the moment, we have lost count of the workers that had died in DSC as a result of Federal Government’s attitude towards their welfare. It is about time to hold someone accountable for what is happening to DSC and its workers”.
The State NLC factional Chairman used the opportunity to advise the Federal Government to intervene on the endless bulk passing by Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria and the Bureau for Public Enterprise to secure a smooth commencement of operations by the new management so that the workers can be settled.
The Labour Leader decried a situation where government agencies have now become a clog at the efforts of diversification of the nation’s economy.
“Several months after taking over, the new management of DSC, Premium Steel and Mines Limited is yet to commence operations and other activities that will enable them clear the backlog of worker’s salaries and allowances due to endless protocols by government agencies involved. How can our nation ever attain sustainable economic diversification at this rate when bureaucratic bottle necks in government agencies seem to slow down activities of investors while workers can’t get their pay? He queried.
While expressing the hope that both BPE and AMCON will resolve all outstanding labour related issues to provide the enabling environment for Premium Steel and Mines to immediately clear backlog of workers’ salaries, Comrade Akporeha however cautioned that Congress might be compelled to mobilize workers on industrial action in support of DSC workers if the Federal Government failed to intervene as Congress can no longer sit and watch DSC workers transform from payroll to death toll.
