BEVERLY HILLS, May 02, (THEWILL) – After 42 days of its leader’s kidnap, the Cross River State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress has demanded the release of the Chairman, Ben Ukpepi.
Ukpepi was kidnapped for the second time in less than a year on the 21st March 2021 at his residence in the Civil Servants Estate in Akpabuyo.
His kidnap drew outrage from workers in the state and his whereabouts have been unknown.
The workers, who made this call during this year’s Workers Day at the Freedom Park in Calabar, said the event has been largely minimised in respect to their Chairman who is in captivity.
Chairman of the Trade Union Congress in the state, Monday Ogbodum, who read the address that was jointly signed by the State Vice Chairman of the NLC, Lawrence Achuta, called on the state government and the security agencies to expedite action for his release.
They said: “The Labour movement in the state was dealt a deadly blow on that fateful day and here we are sorrowing instead of celebrating, agonising and praying that wherever the evil men have taken him, he is safe.
“In this very somber mood, I charge the government and the security agencies to do all that is necessary to return the safe return of our Comrade.”
The Congress also presented another nine-point demand to the state government to urgently implement in the interest of workers in the state.
These include payment of gratuities, suspension of automatic transition to payroll, implementation of promotion, payment of balance of national minimum wage and remittances of deductions from workers salaries to beneficiaries.
Others are financial autonomy for the Judiciary and Legislature, ban on payment of union dues by commercial drivers and tricycle operators, return of motor parks to NURTW and return of weigh-in allowances to radio, television, theatre arts and paper printing workers in the state.
Hundreds of workers from across the state graced the occasion, including pensioners in the state.
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