Council workers begin indefinite strike over unpaid wages

Workers in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara on Monday embarked on a sit-at-home exercise to protest their six months unpaid salary arrears.

The workers joined their counterparts in 15 other local government areas in the state to press home their demand.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that directive for the sit-at-home emanated from the state chapter of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

NAN recalls that the workers had earlier in the year downed tools on the same issue but had to resume work following intervention of some eminent personalities in the state.

Some of the workers who reported for duty on Monday found out that the gate to the secretariat of the council in Omu-Aran was under lock and key.

The workers were seen outside the council secretariat discussing the development in groups when NAN visited.

Some of the workers, who preferred anonymity, expressed sadness with the government’s failure to fulfil its promise to clear the outstanding salary arrears.

"We are tired of working without pay; we have our families to cater for. This is no more acceptable to us as patriotic citizens.

"We demand the immediate payment of our outstanding salaries,’’ one of them said.

Mr Femi Oladipo, the NULGE Chairman, Irepodun Local Government chapter, said the sit-at-home would be indefinite as directed by the state headquarters.

Oladipo said that the NULGE headquarters had, in a memo to the government on Friday, expressed its desire to embark on an indefinite strike if their demands were not met.

"The government had been notified of the sit-at-home last Friday by NULGE headquarters in Ilorin.

"We are awaiting further directive on the development,’’ he said