NLC to begin strike today over workers' welfare

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Zamfara Chapter, said that the union would embark on a total strike on Monday following the expiration of a three-week ultimatum given to the state government by the association

The Chairman NLC, Zamfara Chapter, Mr Bashir Mafara, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Gusau.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the NLC had given the state government three weeks ultimatum to address the problems of workers in the state.

NAN reports that parts of the workers grievances with the state government include the non implementation of workers annual increments, promotion and the non-payment of 1, 400 newly recruited staff recruited more than over three years ago.

Other issues according to the NLC, is that refusal of the government to implement minimum wage for local government staff and primary school teachers as well as non- payment of pensioners’ gratuities.

The NLC said it was worrisome that primary school teachers and local government workers in Zamfara state were still receiving between N7,500 and N8,000 as monthly salary.

The NLC chairman said that the union have been having consultations with the government officials, led by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Abdullahi Shinkafi on how to resolve the issues.

He said that the government had failed to meet up with any of the agreement reached between the workers and the state government.

“Therefore, we are starting the strike tomorrow, Monday as announced three weeks ago.

“We have already announced that all the representatives of the NLC affiliated unions should meet tomorrow at NLC Secretariat by 10.00 am to mark the commencement of the strike”, he said.

Mafara, therefore, urged all workers to stay away from their places of works from tomorrow until the problems were addressed by the government.

NAN also recalls that the Special Adviser to the State Governor on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara had earlier told journalists that the 21-day ultimatum was uncalled for.

Dosara maintained that Gov. Abdul’aziz Yari had since directed the labour leaders in the state to come up with an authentic lists of workers under the state government payroll without which the state government would not implement their demands.