Organised labour in Kogi State on Thursday directed all
civil servants in the state to begin indefinite strike action with effect from
tomorrow, Friday Sept.22 following government's failure to meet their
demands.
Daily Trust
reports that the labour unions comprising Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade
Union Congress (TUC) Public Service Joint Negotiating Council had earlier
issued strike notice to the state government over issues bordering on unpaid
salaries, contributory pension scheme, introduction of clock-in-clock-out
system for civil and other sundry demands, which elapsed Thursday.
State Chairman of
Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Ranti Ojo, who addressed newsmen on behalf
of the unions, said the strike was the "only lifeline" left for Kogi
workers to negotiate their survival in the hands the present administration in
the state. The organised labour charged workers to remain resolute and
discountenance all forms threats, intimidation and blackmail from government
quarters, adding "our fidelity to this struggle is non-negotiable."
"This is
because, never in the history of our state have civil servants recorded the
massive hunger induced death as being witnessed currently, not to talk of the
trauma, anguish, pains, sickness, penury, truncation of children's education,
huge unsettled house rent/medical bills etc that workers/pensioners are
currently experiencing," he said. Labour maintained that the government's
white paper on the last screening exercise currently being implemented was
aimed at achieving massive retrenchment of workers precisely all those in the
directorate cadre and civil servants that have five years and below to retire.
He urged workers
to remain prayerful and law abiding, adding they must be prepared to "stay
at home for eternity if it takes the government eternity to meet all our
demands". The unions called on Muslim civil servants to pray
earnestly for protection of labour leaders and the entire state workers in
their mosques today while their Christian counterparts were equally enjoined to
do same across their churches this Sunday, Sept 24.
Meanwhile, local
government workers and teachers in the state have issued a seven-day strike
notice to the government to meet their demands. State President of National
Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Tade Adeyemi who spoke on
behalf of other local government labour unions, said they will join their state
counterparts with effect from Sept. 27 if the government fails to meet their
demands
Dailytrust
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