From Abel Leonard, Lafia
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) leadership in Nasarawa State has, again, dared Governor Abdullahi Sule, insisting there is no going back in the ongoing strike.
This was disclosed, yesterday, by the chairmen of both unions, Yusuf Sarki Iya and Mohammed Doma.
Iya said the congress was called to inform members of progress in the discussion with government and how they would not succumb to any intimidation.
He said as long as government refused to remove the clause described as satanic, workers will continue to stay at home and would not sign the agreement until that clause is removed
On the issue of compliance, the chairman said: “We went round yesterday and virtually all the offices are locked.”
Reacting to the no work no pay, he said: “May be the government is not aware of the law, the law of payment of wages says anybody who works for 15 days is entitled to his salary so we are not afraid and we have worked for those days before embarking on the strike.
“I can’t imagine the government saying anybody who goes to sign register for only a day his salary would be paid to him against those that worked for 15 days. That is controversy, sounds controversial,” he said.
Iya further said in the coming weeks, the union will be mobilising its members to stage a procession to march round the streets of Lafia as a way of solidarity.
TUC Chairman, Mohammed Doma, said the clause is controversial because it is tied to a certain figure having the knowledge that the state subvention is not up to N4 billion.
“I can count number of times that the government had up to four billion just three times by the time you tie it to this agreement we have mortgaged our future, anything we are demanding and ones that money is not available then we can’t say anything and the promotion will not be implemented,” he said.