Nigeria Labour Congress Declares Strike Over Unpaid Salaries In Abia State

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) announced in Abia State that there will be an indefinite strike starting from Monday onwards over unpaid salaries and pensions.

NLC previously ended a strike two months ago. However, they are going to start a new strike from Monday midnight, as per the statement issued by Emma Alozie, who serves as the secretary of NLC in Abia.

"From the foregoing, all Abia workers, including those in the LGAs are directed to withdraw their services to Abia State government and stay at home from 12 midnight on Monday, 8th May 2023," the statement mentioned, DailyPost reported.

It continued, "In the same vein, all chairpersons and secretaries of all affiliate unions are to sensitize and mobilize their members for total compliance."

The labor union explained that they are going on a strike again due to "the plethora of problems Abia workers and pensioners are facing in the hands of Abia State Government," noting that they haven't received the payment yet.

Previously, NLC declared a strike over unpaid salaries and pensioners' retirement benefits. The strike ended after five days as the union reportedly settled its terms with the state government.

However, the union disclosed in the statement that they haven't received any payment from the government and this triggered them to resume the strike.

NLC's chairperson Pascal Nweke spoke with the media on Monday and said that the workers will talk to the government, only after receiving their salaries.

"They (state government) invited me and our secretary and explained that they had problems with their banks," Nweke said, PremiumTimes reported. "We gave them time to solve their bank problems and later, nothing happened."

Nweke further said that the state government paid the local government staff their March salaries while others are yet to receive salaries of more than 36 months.

"Last week to our surprise, the state government embarked on discriminatory salary payment by paying the local government staff their March salaries, whereas, others are owed more than 36 months' salaries," he claimed.

The declaration came after NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) went on a strike last week.

This is not the first issue for which Nigeria Labour Congress came forward to speak with the government. NLC announced a nationwide strike over cash shortage in the market in March, however, they later suspended the plan.

Minister of Labor and Employment, Chris Ngige confirmed the suspension of the indefinite strike during the 68th session of the State House Ministerial Briefing in Abuja and said that there is already a dialogue going on with NLC.