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By Emem Idio, Yenagoa

THE Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has confirmed that the new minimum wage for workers in Bayelsa State is now 100 per cent implemented by the state government.

The outgoing chairman of NLC in the state, Comrade John Bipre Ndiomu, stated this on Tuesday during the 7th quadrennial state delegates conference of the union, adding that the organised labour also engaged the government to float a health insurance scheme for civil servants in the state.

According to him, workers in the area state c

enjoys regular promotions, training and retraining as well as Christmas bonuses and other incentives, while the contributory pension law has also been signed into law by the state government.

His words: “After several years of workers’ contributions to federal housing scheme with failed expectations, the NLC under my leadership for the first time in the state attracted loans from Federal Mortgage Bank to workers for the purpose of developing lands or renovating of existing houses.

“The contributory pension scheme law has been signed by the state government, the scheme which is designed for those employed from 2011 is to take care of retirement benefits of workers and also address the backlog of gratuities.

“We are currently pursuing the establishment of a Committee on retirement, this Committee when established would address the tedious process senior citizens pass through in preparation for their retirements. It is fashioned in the way that all relevant desks for the final clearance of a would-be retiree are put in a conference to reduce stress.”

During the 7th quadrennial state delegates conference, Comrade Barnabas Simon of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, MHWUN, was elected as the new Bayelsa State NLC chairman.