By Ifeyinwa Ogwo
Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has urged the state’s workers’ unions to elevate their role from protest unionism to a development-oriented unionism. He called on them to become partners in wealth creation and supervisors of workers to ensure excellent service delivery, celebrating their sacrifices and dedication to Nigeria and the state.
He made these remarks during the 2026 International Workers’ Day celebration at Alex Ekwueme Square on May 1, 2026, themed, “Insecurity and Poverty: The Bane of Decent Work.”
The governor thanked all workers—vendors, artisans, self-employed individuals, doctors, nurses, security agencies, among others—for their contributions to the state’s growth. “I recognise the sacrifices you make for the state. May 1st is set aside globally to honour workers, and I celebrate you for your sacrifices and commitment to Nigeria and Anambra State. I also remember those who lost their lives in active service.
“Anambra State was among the first to implement the national minimum wage. We recruited 8,115 credible teachers to shape the future of our children. We plan to recruit more teachers soon because education and health are vital for our future. We need more schools and healthcare facilities. By next year’s celebration, many of the proposals you made will have been realised,” he added.
Governor Soludo emphasised that the era of sit-at-home is over in the state, and workers must regularly attend work. “The Monday sit-at-home is finished, and the Southeast is back to work. We will soon deploy a technology to record workers’ attendance, from entry to exit, enabling payment based on the days they work. We will also review and address salary deductions.”
He appointed the organised labour to be part of a committee to address workers’ grievances and welfare, urging, “Let’s be the change we want to see.”
Earlier, during the welcome address read by Comrade Humphrey Nwafor, Chairman of the Anambra NLC, he praised the governor for developmental progress across the state, noting, “Your vision to position Anambra as a modern, livable, and competitive hub for innovation and commerce is bold and inspiring, deserving of collective support.”
He appealed to the governor to review workers’ welfare issues, including allowances for domestic servants, staff housing, maintenance of staff buses, promotions, and deductions. “We do not condone absenteeism but advocate discipline. We are concerned about how deductions are implemented.
“All deductions should be proportional to a single day’s pay, in line with fair labour practices, and not excessive,” he added.
Nwafor reaffirmed the labourers’ readiness to work constructively with the government, supporting policies to uplift workers and transform Anambra into a thriving economy.
The event concluded with a march-past by various union groups.
Ifeyinwa is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
