By CHIDI NKWOPARA

OWERRI- Members of National Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, stormed Owerri yesterday afternoon to protest alleged maltreatment and acts of injustice against local government workers in Imo State.

State NULGE Chairman, Mr. Ambrose Onuoha, who reeled out 11-point grievances of the workers before the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Jerry Okolie, also warned that the union would resist actions or inactions to shortchange their members in the state.

He accused the commissioner of unilaterally and without regards to extant rules and/or approval of a higher authority and without any verifiable reason, placed all local government workers in the state on step one of their salary grade level for the payment of November and December salaries.

The Imo NULGE boss  lamented that his colleagues were yet to be paid arrears of their promotion and minimum wage, adding that their counterparts in the civil service had received three months or more of such arrears.

Comrade Onuoha identified late payment of their salaries, non-payment of Christmas bonus and legitimate allowances, government’s non-assistance to the union and non-payment of pension to their retired members as further reason for their protest.

“The Union will resist further attempts by your office, arising from the actions and inactions of the officers of your Ministry, to malign or shortchange local government workers in the state,” Onuoha warned.

Responding, the commissioner promised that all their grievances would be addressed and pleaded with the union leaders from the 27 local council areas to stay back for a crucial meeting.