The workers staged a walkout on a government delegation.
Labour unions in Cross River State have disagreed on the planned implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the disagreement came to the fore when the union officials walked out on government officials during a planned sensitisation of the workers on the scheme in Calabar on Wednesday.
The planned sensitisation had in attendance, the national President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, and representatives of the state government, led by Secretary to the Government, Anthony Owan-Enoh.
The workers said they staged a walkout because of "insincerity" on the part of the government on the scheme.
One of the union leaders who spoke with NAN, on the condition of anonymity, said the workers discovered that the government was trying to force the scheme on workers.
According to him, "We were never told about the coming of the NLC national president. We were shocked to see him appear with government officials in the hall where the sensitisation was to take place.
"For us, we concluded that his presence was a plan to force workers in the state into the scheme.
"All we want is for the government to engage the workers more on the scheme before any decision will be arrived at."
The government has, however, maintained that the planned migration of the workers is for their benefit.
The spokesperson to Governor Bassey Otu, Emmanuel Ogbeche, who spoke with NAN on the workers' protest during the aborted sensitisation meeting, said the governor aims to prevent a future where the workers are frustrated in their retirement from service.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"I am sure you are aware that the state has not paid gratuities since 2014 and this is primarily the concern of Governor Otu in planning a migration to the contributory pension scheme.
He pointed out that the workers present insisted that they would not work with the three banks that have been pencilled down for the scheme.
"These banks that have been engaged by the government are the ones that will ensure the sustainability of the scheme, but the labour unions are saying they have their own banks to work with.
"This is an act of parliament. Moreover, it is the state government that is funding it.
"Though the planned sensitisation couldn't take place, the government is hopeful that they see reasons with the benefit of the scheme," he stated.
(NAN)
