By Tony Edike
ENUGU—Newly inaugurated executive of Trade Union Congress, TUC, in Enugu State has promised to continue with the struggle for the implementation of the new N18,000 minimum wage for workers  in the state.

Speaking with newsmen shortly after the triennial delegates conference of TUC, Enugu State Council, the Chairman, Comrade Chukwuma Igbokwe, assured that the struggle for the minimum wage would continue until they got to the end of it.

Outside the issue of salary and minimum wage, which has been on the front burner for some months now, the union leader said there are other issues over which his leadership would dialogue with government in the collective interest of workers.

He said his administration would engage government on how to create a better working environment for workers, to enhance productivity.

Igbokwe said: “My agenda is that we have a struggle on ground and that struggle is implementation of N18,000 minimum wage. And it is like I am stepping into it directly. Then, there are other issues we have to dialogue to get for workers.

“These days, we are talking about salary, salary, salary. I think we should go beyond salary to other issues that will facilitate the working environment because you go to the secretariat and you find out that some of these offices are an eyesore.

”We are looking at maximum productivity and for you to achieve that, you have to create an enabling working environment for our workers.”

These are the things that we are going to champion. There is also the issue of workers training. Beyond that, there are enormous challenges facing labour leadership and this country in general.”

Stressing that the struggle or minimum wage remains ongoing, he recalled that he had been in it as a member sub-technical committee and as Secretary of TUC and now, as the chairman of TUC.

Igbokwe said it is the issue of continuing in the struggle and they are still there, until they get to the end of it because expectations are high from workers of Enugu State on the full implementation of N18000 minimum wage.

Earlier in an address, TUC President General, Peter Esele said that the congress was aware that the negotiations between the state government and organized labour on the issue of minimum wage would soon be concluded and that smiles would be put on the faces of workers in the state.

Esele however said that the senior staff in the state were asking for more from the state government and wishes to be benefit from donation of buses to all trade unions in the state like the case in Lagos and Rivers State, to mention but a few.

He called on the state government to introduce a state sponsored interest free car loan that has been put in place in Oyo State since the last three years, which hundreds of workers have benefited from, or still, housing loans that are now being implemented in many states.

In a goodwill message, Enugu State Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, Mrs. Vivienne Eze, said that the state shown commitment to creating enabling environment or sustainable development

and economic growth in the state by ensuring the implementation of labour laws and formulating labour policies, programmes, processes and schemes to provide social security and welfare.

Other members of the new TUC executive in the state include, A.A. Esi (ex-officio), Constance Odo (Chairperson Women Commission), Goodswill Omorobo (Publicity Secretary), Jacob Ayobokali (Financial Secretary), Simeon Ogbodu (Auditor), Ndidi Nwigwe (Treasurer), E.Onyejekwe (Assistant Secretary 2), Joe Ugwoke (Secretary) and Andy Nwanze (Vice Chairman).