Government workers in Niger State have embarked on indefinite strike action on Wednesday morning following a directive by the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The industrial action followed state government’s failure to meet the workers’ demands.
The state chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Idrees Lafene, and his Trade Union Congress counterpart, Ibrahim Gana, had on Monday directed civil servants in the state to commence an indefinite strike over what they described as the failure of the state government to continue negotiations on issues affecting the welfare of the workers and the smooth running of the state.
However, the Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Usman, in a move to avert the strike informed journalists that a meeting to iron out issues with labour was slated for Tuesday afternoon.
He added that the Mohammed Bago administration was enjoying a cordial relationship with the organised labour, assuring all that contentious issues would be addressed in the best interest of the state.
“In furtherance of this understanding, the government of Niger State on Tuesday 20th February 2024 invited organised labour to a meeting by 2 pm and it is hoping to receive its cooperation in this regard,” he said.
He assured the general public that the administration of Bago is people and labour-friendly and remains open to dialogue and negotiations that will move Niger State forward.
However, the planned meeting did not take place, leading to confirmation from a reliable source in the organised labour union that the strike would proceed as planned.
The source urged all branches to mobilise their members for total compliance.
