Bayelsa government has commenced its plans to
downsize its workforce with the sack of some 222 staff from its radion station
and newspaper while compilation of sack list is in progress
The
Bayelsa Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) on Wednesday condemned
the sack of 222 media workers in the Bayelsa government owned media platforms.
The list
showed that 86 staff of New Waves Newspaper and
136 workers from the Radio Bayelsa were affected from the list s far released
while staff of the state television station remain apprehensive.
A statement
from the NUJ urged the state government to review its decision to sack over 200
media workers in one fell swoop in the guise of redeployment while the axe
dangles on others.
This is sequel to a circular from the office
of the Head of Service to heads of media parastatal to redeploy excess staff.
The statement signed by the Bayelsa NUJ Chairman Mr. John Angese and
Secretary Mr. Stanley Imgbi noted that the unions and labour leaders in the
state and affected establishment were not privy to the exercise
The NUJ argued that the parameter for
determining the desired staff strength was not specified and shrouded in
secrecy adding that the best hands have been affected in the exercise that
jettisoned competence.
According to the statement the output of the
media houses would nose dive as professionalism and competence were not factored
in while compiling the list.
The union maintained that the directive to
stop salaries of the affected workers from the April 2018 voucher was in breach
of civil service rule and breached the labour laws.
It
said that seizure of the salaries of the affected staff and holding it in
unpaid salary account in the state treasury clearly shows that the exercise is
not redeployment as presented by government.
The union leaders urged government to review
the decision due to the economic implication on the affected workers as most of
who are bread winners of their family and the overall implication on the
society.
The statement further urged members to remain
calm while an emergency congress will be called to review the strategy of the
union on the matter.
The Baylesa
government said the ongoing public service reforms in the state was to
eliminate endemic employment racketeering and pay roll fraud in its public
sector.
Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah (Rtd) assured
the workers that they would not be thrown into the labour market adding that
the exercise would only affect those involved in employment fraud, redundancy
and truancy.
It will be
recalled that Bayelsa government had on November 7,2017 announced that it
withheld the October 2017 salary of some 4,202 civil servants suspected to be
involved in irregularities.
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