No June salary for Cross River striking workers – Ayade

By Inyali Peter, Calabar

The faceup between the Cross River State government and Organized Labour in the state has gone messier as the state Governor, Ben Ayade has adopted a no-work no-work salary approach.

The Governor in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Chief Press Secretary, Mr.  Christian Ita directed the Finance Commissioner, Head of Service and Accountant General to pay only workers who have been at while the strike last.

According to the statement “The State Governor, His Excellency, Senator Professor Ben Ayade has directed the Commissioner for Finance, head of Service and Accountant General to immediately commence the process for the payment of June salary to state workers who have been at work while the strike last.

The statement added that “the governor expects the salaries to be paid before the end of the week”.

It will be recalled that for over two weeks now state workers have embarked on strike to demand explanation on how the state government spent the over N31 billion released by federal government to the state for the purpose of payment of salaries and pension.

The union have insisted that the money which came through the bailout funds and return of Parish club funds have been misappropriated as Local Government Staff, Teachers and Pensioners have not been paid for over eleven months.