Workers in Bayelsa State joined their counterparts across the country to mark this year’s May Day Celebrations with a call for improved working and living conditions.
At the event held at the Peace Park in Yenagoa, the State Chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress in a joint address noted that workers continue to face challenges of poor remuneration and welfare despite years of struggles for living wages.
With the high cost of living occasioned by removal of subsidies by government on petrol, electricity and ever increasing taxes, workers in the country are facing serious existential threats as many find it difficult to meet their financial obligations such as rent for houses, school fees for children and feeding of their families.
These challenges were highlighted prominently as workers across the nation marked the 2025 International Workers Day with the theme ‘ Workers Insecurity and the Need to Reclaim the Civic Space’
Chairman of the Bayelsa State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Barnabas Simon who delivered the joint address of the NLC and the Trade Union Congress pointed out that the average worker in the country has become insecure as the civic space has been hijacked by the ruling political class.
While applauding the State government for its workers friendly programmes and policies such as implementation of the eighty thousand Naira new minimum wage for workers in the State public service, conduct of promotion exercise and implementation of benefits, inauguration of the NLC/TUC twin Secretariat building and commencement of building of the nine-storey new secretariat complex for the State Civil service amongst others he highlighted some fresh demands including housing scheme for workers, implementation of promotion arrears for teachers and local government workers.
Addressing the Workers at the Peace Park, Yenagoa, venue of this year’s May Day Celebration, Governor Douye Diri expressed the Bayelsa State Government’s gratitude to the resilience and commitment of workers in public and private institutions as well as professional and informal sectors.
The Governor who gave an assurance that the Administration would continue to be workers friendly said government has started the recruitment of a thousand workers into the state’s civil service as well as, employing additional teachers for our secondary and technical schools, alongside interventions in other critical sectors such as healthcare in addition to the ongoing construction of the 9-Storey State Secretariat Complex to offer a world-class working environment, foster synergy and efficiency among civil servants.
High point of the event was the presentation of two fourteen seater buses to the NLC and TUC in the State.
