Niger – NLC, TUC Begin Indefinite Strike Over Salary Cut

The Niger State councils of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have directed all state civil servants to proceed on an indefinite strike action following expiration of a two-week ultimatum given to the state government to pay full salary of workers in the state.

This was indicated in a bulletin signed by the labour unions and made available to Daily Trust in Minna yesterday.

The Organized Labour directed that the civil servants should sit at home and await further directives.

"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," the statement said.

The State NLC Chairman, Comrade Yahaya Idris Ndako, said the unions decided on the strike due to state government's reluctance to reverse its decision of cutting workers' salaries. "This time around, no going back, the strike is inevitable," Ndako said.

But the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, said government has not cut workers' salaries.

The current salary regime, he said, was informed by circumstances beyond the control of government.

The governor who made the remark in Minna, the state capital, 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.'

Sani Bello said despite the state's lean allocation, government was able to pay 70 per cent salary to all workers last month.

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