Organized labour in Rivers State has applauded health and volunteer workers for being at the forefront in the fight against coronavirus.
The organized labour also commended workers in the state for their “resilience, patience and understanding”.
In a statement jointly signed by chairperson of Nigeria Labour Congress in the state, Mrs Beatrice Itubo and her counterparts from Trade Union Congress and Joint Public Service Negotiating Council, Comrade Austin Jonah and Comrade Emechita Chuku respectively, to mark this year’s May Day celebration, the organized labour especially commended “health and volunteer workers who are at the front line of fighting Covid-19 pandemic”.
The statement said May Day celebration did not hold in the state over the “upsurge of the novel coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world” in compliance with directive from the national secretariat that the celebration should not hold.
Organized labour said workers in the state should keep faith with labour as it was aware of their “enormous challenges” over the non-implementation of their entitlements and hardship from the coronavirus pandemic.
It said labour would continue to advocate for welfare of workers in the state.
It said it was joining the national secretariat to reject alleged moves “by some state governments to deduct workers’ salaries in the name of fighting Covid-19 pandemic”.
The labour leaders congratulated workers in the state on occasion of the May Day celebration and urged them to show professionalism in discharge of their duties.
They said workers should “always observe high personal hygiene” and follow instructions given by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and World Health Organisation (WHO) to avoid contracting the disease.
They prayed that workers would be alive to celebrate next year’s workers’ day celebration as they overcome coronavirus pandemic.
