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From John Adams, Minna
Organised Labour in Niger State has transmuted the 14 days warning strike into an indefinite strike following the breakdown in negotiation between the labour and the government over unpaid salaries of civil servants at the local government.
Labour in a statement in Minna on Wednesday by the Chairman, Yakubu Garba, a copy which was made available to newsmen said the decision of the state government to continue the 70 per cent salary payment to local government workers in the state negates the progress being made in the ongoing negotiation between the organised labour and the representatives of the government led by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Ketso.
Labour had last week declared a 14-day warning strike to press home its demands for the full payment of salaries of workers at the local government level that was being paid 70 per cent for almost a year now.
While the negotiation was ongoing, the government went ahead to pay the same 70 per cent salaries as February salaries to local government workers, a decision labour said negates the progress being made in the negotiation.
Consequently, labour directed civil servants at the state and the 25 local government areas “that the ongoing fourteen days warning strike is transmuted to indefinite strike action effective today, Wednesday 16th March 2022.”
The labour further stated that the strike will remain in force until salaries of workers in the 25 local government areas are paid in 100 per cent gross component.”
In another development, the Association of Niger state Students (NANISS) has given the state government six days to declare a state of emergency on education, declaring the current education sector in the state as a sham.
The student union gave the ultimatum in Minna on Thursday while addressing newsmen on the state of the educational sector in the state and concluded that the present administration has done little or nothing in the sector.
The student body is particularly worried that WAEC results for 2020/2021 are yet to be released to the candidates since November 2021 due to the failure of the state government to pay some pending balance for previous years, adding that “other state results have been released and even proceeded to pursuant of higher learning.
“In the same vein, it is no longer news that the government primary school pupils have been sitting at home for about 11 weeks from now, following the sit at home directives of the Nigerian Union of teachers, (Niger state chapter) for the shortage of payments made to Local government staff which have in turn jeopardise the efforts of parents and ruin the instilled knowledge on the children.”
The student body pointed out that education is gradually diminishing in the state under this administration and called for urgent intervention and a state of emergency “otherwise future of the upcoming generation is at stake if necessary measures are not taken to curtail the menace.
“Therefore, we urge the Niger state government to declare a state of emergency on education and redress the 3 cardinal challenges within the period of (6 working days) otherwise we will embark on mass and peaceful demonstration, also blocking the city gate entrance of Minna and other local governments by students and youths of the state.”
