Nasarawa: NLC, TUC declare indefinite strike over unpaid entitlements

The Nasarawa State chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria have called on their members to immediately embark on an indefinite strike following the failure of Governor Umaru al-Makura to pay their entitlements.
Speaking in an interview in Lafia, the state capital on Saturday, the state Chairman of the TUC, Mr. Namo Danladi, explained that the strike action became necessary after the state government was unable to meet their demands after several negotiations.
He said the union on January 21 gave the state government a seven-day ultimatum to address all their demands.
He added that the ultimatum lapsed on January, 27, 2016.
He explained that parts of their demands included the implementation of staff promotion from 2011, payment of backlog of gratuities and arrears of pensioners, payment of four-month arrears of minimum wage and the release report of the workers’ biometric data exercise.
The union also demanded the stoppage of salary payment in percentage to local government workers, payment of leave/transport autonomy to judiciary and tertiary institutions workers in the state.
He said the union had directed all workers in the state to comply with the directive.
When contacted, the state Head of Service, Mr. Joseph Anchor, expressed surprise at the unions’ decision, saying that they should not be in a hurry to embark on an indefinite strike.
He said the unions should shelve the strike to give government more time to address the issues.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of University, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Dr. Theopholius Lagi, has threatened to shut the university in the next two weeks if the varsity’s authorities refuse to meet demands of members of the union.
Lagi said this in an interview with our correspondent on Saturday in Keffi.
He said, “Our doors are still open for them to call us, to proffer a lasting solution to our grievances.”
Lagi also identified some of the challenges facing the institution to include high tax deduction and delayed promotions among others.
He stated further that some of the issues had been lingering since 2009, after the union’s six months strike over funding of varsity and basic remuneration of lecturers.
Sunday Punch