Plateau Workers Begin Strike Over Unpaid Wages, Bauchi To Join If Salary Arrears Not Cleared By Next Week

Workers in Plateau State have embarked on an indefinite strike to demand for the payment of salaries, gratuity and pension to retirees for over five months as well as promotions of workers.

Their colleagues in neighbouring Bauchi State have vowed to follow suit if their arrears are not cleared by next week.

A Channels TV report said that organised labour in Plateau, comprising Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), have effectively paralysed all government activities.

“The Plateau State Head of Service, Ezekiel Dalyop, explained that the dwindling revenue allocation from the Federal Government has been the major challenge which has affected payment of salaries and other emoluments due to workers in the state,” the report said.

Another report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has it that the Bauchi State chapter of NLC has given Gov. Isa Yuguda a six-day ultimatum to settle all unpaid salaries or face an indefinite strike.

It said that the state NLC Chairman, Malam Hashimu Gital, gave the ultimatum in a statement issued to newsmen today in Bauchi, the state capital, disclosing that the workers are owed salaries for the months of March 2014 and April 2015.

According to the statement, “The leadership of organised labour in Bauchi State met on May 6, 2015 and resolved to communicate to Bauchi State Government the following:

“That payment of outstanding salaries of March 2014 and April 2015 should be made on or before May 12, 2015.

“Failure to meet this demand will lead to withdrawal of services of workers indefinitely until the salaries are paid.”

However, Bauchi State Head of Service, Mr Abdon Gin, told NAN that the workers were owed only April 2015 salary.

He explained that government and organised labour had reached a compromise that the March 2014 salary would be paid in installment.

Mr Gin said that the government and labour were negotiating to resolve the issue before the May 12 deadline.