Following the decision of the Nasarawa state government to reduce workers’ salaries by 50 percent, the state labour Union commenced an indefinite strike on Friday to register it’s displeasure at the decision.
However the state Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura vowed not to go back on this decision.
This decision of Nasarawa labour to reject the government’s decision was made known by Comrade Abdullahi Adeka, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman and Danladi Namo, Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman.
The duo made the decision known while addressing journalists at the Labour House in Lafia.
Speaking further, the state labour congress declared that the stiffness of the state government in this regard informed their stay at home decision.
According to Adeka, the indefinite strike by the entire workers in the state followed the inability of the state government to reverse its decision to cut their salaries by 50 percent.
“We staged a peaceful protest to the government house on Monday, where we made it clear that if by the government did not reverse its decision to cut our salaries would embark on strike.
“We told the Deputy Governor, Mr. Silas Agara who came and received our petition on behalf of the Governor that at the close of work on Monday, government must reverse the workers unfriendly decision or face strike.
“Since the government remains adamant, the unions would use its only weapon which is strike to press home its demands until the government return and maintain the status-quo.”
The chairman of the TUC rejected the force been applied by government in getting labour back to work especially Permanent Secretaries and Directors.
He assured all categories of workers in the payroll of the government of the state to continue to remain at home until they receive further directive form the union.
He, however, thanked all the workers across the state for their usual corporation and promised them that there would be light at the end of the tunnel.