About 24 hours after the Niger State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC declared an indefinite strike over issues bordering round workers welfare and political appointments, both parties have resolved to end the strike.
Labour on Tuesday announced an indefinite strike and called all its members to down tools on Wednesday after the State government failed to negotiate the contentious issues agitating the Organised Labour in the State. the strike action which grounded the state as most public offices remained shut and Civil servants failed to turn up for work, the State Governir, Mohammed Bago called a meeting with the leadership of the unions which took place in the Government House Council Chambers.
Our correspondent reports that the strike action which grounded the state as most public offices remained shut and Civil servants failed to turn up for work, the State Governir, Mohammed Bago called a meeting with the leadership of the unions which took place in the Government House Council Chambers.
The meeting held which held in the council chamber of the Niger Sate Government House on Wednesday, ended with the Lablour leaders and the Governor singing the Labour solidarity Anthem indicating that the meeting had ended on a pleasant note.
At the end of the closed door meeting on Wednesday night, the NLC chairman Idrees Lafene and Governor Bago addressed newsmen at the chamber’s foyer.
“We have met and resolved on all the issues that were raised and as it is now we have an agreement on ground with the government. As I said, we have resolved on all the issues raised. For instance, on the issue of wage award the government has agreed to pay N20,000 across board for state and local government workers by March.
“Then on leave grant, it was agreed to be spread for six months. It will be paid once for now. On the reversal of the appointments, a tripartite committee was set up to look at the issue, comprising of the House of Assembly, the executive and the Labour,” Lafene said.
He affirmed that he would speak with members of Labour on the outcome of the meeting and it is only the Union members that could call off the strike.We are calling our house this night to brief them of the resolution and it is only the House that can give that approval. So, if I tell you that we have called of the strike.
He said, “We have resolved, we are assuring Nigerians and Nigerlites alike that all the issues that were raised have been resolved. The arrears have been resolved, most of the issues were inherited, the government had reneged on some of their promises but now we have resolved a have a very solid agreement that we have both signed between the Labour and the State Government.
“All the issues raised have been resolved and as he rightly said, understanding the need to move forwar. For instance, the issue of leave grant, leave grant is no more in vogue, it is now a consolidated salary unfortunately some people were paid in 2019 others were not paid. So, the outstanding for those.
“The second issue is the appointments we have made. It is the nomenclature not the appointments. A tripartite committee has been created with the State Government, the State Assembly and the Labour to look at the laws and see a way around it and come out with a better resolution. Then any other issue have been resolved and Labour is expected to call of their strike this night so that we can resume work tomorrow.”
