Ijaw group berates salary disparity

Lanre Adewole, Abuja - 06.07.2008

THE salary structure of most companies in the Niger Delta region has been described as en-slaving. This was the position of the Ijaw Monitoring Group (IMG) in a release made at the end of its meeting recently.

The release, which cited the case of a Calabar-based hotel where indigenes from the region are paid peanuts, even with equal qualifications as their foreign counterparts, accused the foreigners of taking advantage of the poverty in the region to further pauperise the people.

The statement, signed by Comrade Joseph Evah, averred that foreigners get away with the inhuman treatment because there was no government check on the activities of the company over the years.

They rejected the N7,500 salary of hotel workers, claiming that Lebanese with the same or less qualifications were paid $2,000 monthly.

“We are aware that similar companies and industries in the region also treat our people like orphans because governments in the Niger Delta area are unconcerned about the activities of these companies. We will not accept any company taking our dignity for granted simply because our people are desperate for jobs,” the group warned.

The group also warned the company to revert the salary of Nigeriansto be at part with their foreign counterparts without further delay.

“The hotel’s evil practice is an eye opener to us and we have resolved to set up committees to monitor the activities of all the companies in the region to ascertain whether they conform with the United Nations Charter in human rights and International Labour Organisation Charter on labour condition and services,” it stressed.