Salary cut: Niger workers vow to resume strike Tuesday

Workers in Niger State will resume their suspended strike on Tuesday, the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said.

The industrial action is a protest over the decision of the state government to pay the November salary of its workers on a percentage basis.

The workers said they would be left with no option than to stay away from work from Tuesday, December 1, 2020 should the government fail to address the issue.

This is coming after several meetings with the government team had ended in deadlock.

In a letter addressed to state governor, Dani Bello, through the Niger Head Service, the NLC declared the proposal by the state government to pay November 2020 salaries of the local governments and state workers on a percentage basis as unacceptable.

The letter, titled, ‘Resumption of suspended indefinite strike action’, was signed by the NLC Chairman, Yakubu Garba and the TUC Chairman, Tanimu Yunusa.

The letter read, “We write on behalf of the State Executive Council (SEC) of Niger State organised labour to convey to your esteemed office the harmonised position of the affiliate unions as follows:

“That Niger State Government should refund the slashed June 2020  salaries to the desirable civil servants latest Tuesday, 1st December.

“That the discussion on payment of outstanding October 2020 salaries of local government workers must be conclusive on or before Tuesday, December 1, 2020.

“That the proposal by Niger State Government to pay November 2020 salaries of the LGAs and state workers on a percentage basis is unacceptable and vehemently rejected.

“That failure of the government to address issues 1, 2 and 3 above, the organized labour will be left with no other option than to resume the earlier suspended indefinite strike action effective midnight of Tuesday, December 1, 2020.”

The organised labour expressed dismay over the government’s refusal to pay the 30 per cent balance to affected civil servants five months after and the decision to pay the workers’ November salaries on a percentage basis.