The Niger State councils of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have directed all civil servants in the state to proceed on an indefinite strike action over cuts in their salaries by the state government.
The organized labour said the decision to embark on strike followed the expiration of a two-week ultimatum handed the state government to pay full salary of workers in the state.
“The Niger State Council of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) hereby direct all Niger State civil servants to proceed on an indefinite strike action from Monday 11th July, 2016”, said a bulletin signed by the labour unions in Minna, the state capital yesterday.
The State NLC Chairman, Comrade Yahaya Idris Ndako, asserted that “This time around, no going back! The strike is inevitable”.
Reacting to the strike action declared by the workers, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello said government did not cut workers salary.
According to him, the current salary regime was necessitated by circumstances beyond the control of government.
Speaking in Minna, the governor said, “We are faced with a critical situation. Our monthly receipt from the federation allocation has been on a constant decline, the drastic fall in global price for crude oil and the continued heinous activities of the Niger Delta Avengers on our oil installations are affecting our resources. We have no intention to cut salary”.
Mr. Sani Bello pointed out that in spite of the state’s lean allocation, government was able to pay 70 per cent salary to all workers last month.
