Court orders payment of salaries, arrears to AUPCTRE in Anambra

By Albert Akota

The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) records victory again, as court orders enforcement of parts of the Industrial Arbitration Panel award to its members in Anambra State.

This was contained in a statement signed by AUPCTRE’s Secretary General Raphael Imade, yesterday, in Abuja.

The National Industrial Court (NIC) in Enugu, presided over by Justice O. O Arowosegbe,  had on June 3, struck out a case filed by the union on behalf of its members in Anambra, for being incompetent, saying it could not grant an order already granted by the IAP, but could only enforce the same.

AUPCTRE had filed a case against the state government at the IAP in Abuja, in 2005 over nonpayment of 48 months salaries and eight years leave allowance for employees of the Anambra State Water Corporation; and denying workers of the state’s Environmental Protection Agency 25 month’s salaries and eight years leave allowance.

In 2012, the IAP awarded in favour of AUPCTRE and the workers among other claims, their total outstanding arrears of salaries and leave allowances.

The IAP further ordered that the Anambra State Government should promote and increase the workers’ salaries across board and also ensure payment of workers gratuities and pension.

It said, in spite of the IAP award in favour of the workers, the Anambra State Government blatantly refused to make the necessary payments to AUPCTRE and workers as ordered.

The IAP had held that the conduct of Anambra government in refusing to pay its workers’ salaries for such a long time was the worst form of unfair labour practice in Nigeria.

AUPCTRE said in the statement that the unpleasant situation led the union to file an application at the NIC for the enforcement of the IAP award wherein the first bank account of the Anambra State Government was garnished in year 2014 for the payment of the judgment debts and cost.