The protest, which began earlier than 7am on Thursday, saw the aggrieved workers barricading main entrances into office premises located within Ibom Plaza, Uyo
The industrial unrest is a joint action by the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSACGOC) and the National Union of Postal and Telecommunications Employees (NUPTE), Akwa Ibom State branches.
Speaking to newsmen in Uyo on Thursday, the Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies in Akwa Ibom, Sunny Dickson Jnr complained of management insensitivity to workers welfare.
He said, since 2017, the management has refused to pay them what he called “Rent Enhancement Allowances”.
He said, “We are protesting against management insensitivity towards staff members of NIPOST. Our complaint is about the non-payment of our rent enhancement allowances since 2017.
“The category of staffers affected by the non – payment per anum include; GL. 1 – 7 (N10, 000), GL. 7 – 9 (N15, 000), GL. 10 – 13 (N30, 000), GL. 14 and above (N250, 000 to N300, 000).
“Repatriation allowances to retired members have not been paid also coupled with the non-availability of working materials in the office. As a result of this, our staff in the EMS department face frequent attacks by members of the public, for our inability to deliver prompt service”.
Comrade Dickson, who is also Vice-Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Akwa Ibom State said the union had previously given a 21 days ultimatum to the management in Abuja, indicating their grievances but its response to them was nothing to write home about.
He said, based on management reluctance to the issues raised, the National Administrative Council (NAC), Abuja gave the management another 7 days ultimatum, which the top management was still not forthcoming hence, this strike by the workers.
“We are not happy and have vowed not to go to work except management pay our arrears of allowances”, he stated.
However, the management in an acknowledgement letter to both presidents of the unions dated September 15, 2021, and signed by the Director, HRM, K. U. Matankari on behalf of the Post Master General/CEO of NIPOST, Abuja advised the workers to remain calm, as efforts were being made to address the issues.
The letter also advised that “management is still in the process of payment of the outstanding rent enhancement allowance. The seeming delay in action is due to the shortfall in revenue generation”.
