Strike: Abia workers vow not to return to work unless govt. pays them
*Locks entrances to office, secretariat
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Abia workers made good their threat to resume their suspended industrial action on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 by shutting down offices and vowing that only “credit alerts” will see them back to work.
The enforcement team, led by the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Abia State chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Paschal Nweke, which ensured total compliance of the workers, stormed the premises of the Secretary to Abia State Government (SSG), the Head of Service (HoS) and the Dr. Michael Okpara Auditorium, all on Library Avenue, Umuahia, the state capital, and sealed their entrances, ensuring that no one was allowed access to these work places.
The team also sealed the state secretariat which was a ghost of itself as workers deserted the area.
A banner hung at the gate of the locked entrance to the offices of the SSG and HoS by NLC explained that the workers were on strike as a result of salary and pension arrears, poor welfare of workers, as well as harassment and intimidation of workers and union leaders.
Comrade Nweke told newsmen that the workers resumed their suspended indefinite industrial action because the state government has failed to honour agreements it reached with the organized Labour last March aimed at ameliorating the plight of workers in the state, insisting that Abia workers would only return to work when government pays their arrears of salaries and pensions.
Government and Abia NLC had reached agreements earlier in March 2023 to offset the backlog of arrears of salaries owed the workers. Part of the agreement was that government would pay two months’ salary arrears while the balance of the arrears would be harmonized and paid in sequence.
But the workers claimed that the government has reneged on the agreements as it has not fulfilled any of those agreements, thus forcing the workers to resumed their suspended industrial action.
Other Labour leaders who spoke to newsmen, including some members of the Satate Action Committee (SAC), Comrade Engineer Ifeanyi Nwaji and the State Chairman of National Association of Nurses and Midwives, Comrade Ugochi Akoma, expressed sadness that government has turned its back on workers in the state.
“Abia state NLC has declared indefinite strike in the state as a result of the government failing in the agreement we had with them in March. There was a Memorandum of Understand between the Labour and the government and since that time, they have not done any of those things,” Comrade Akoma explained.
“There are backlogs of salary arrears from various establishments in the state and none has been paid. There are a lot of agitations by the state workers which we have enumerated and up till now, they (State Government) have not done anything necessary.
“They need to clear all the backlog of salaries owed workers. ABSUTH has been under lock and keys since last year; they are owed 26 months’ salary arrears, Abia poly is owed 43 months, HMB 17 months, and others, even core civil servants are owed two months,” she added.
On his part, Comrade Engr. Ifeanyi Nwaji lent his support to the position of Abia NLC Chairman, Comrade Nweke, that the workers would not return to work unless they were paid. He ruled out further negotiations with government. “The workers will no longer negotiate with the state government but will only call of the strike when they are paid,” he vowed.
“When we met with the government, agreements were signed. We have given them time, this is May, the government has not implemented anything out of the agreements reached with them concerning the salary arrears owed civil servants, pension arrears, non-implementation of minimum wage, non-payment of Hospitals Management Board (HMB) workers, ABSUTH and Abia Polytechnic workers, as well as primary and secondary school teachers who are owed backlogs of 30 months and above,” Nwaji added.
The current industrial action was preceded by a circular from the state NLC, notifying all civil servants of the resumption of their strike on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.
The notice, endorsed by the State Secretary of NLC, Comrade Pastor Emma Alozie (JP), was titled: “Resumption of Indefinite Strike.” It read:
“The State Executive Council (SEC) of Congress after a careful deliberation on the plethora of problems Abia Workers and pensioners are facing in the hands of Abia State Government at her meeting on Friday, 5th May, 2023 unanimously resolved to resume the suspended indefinite strike action.
“From the foregoing, all Abia Workers, including those in the LGAs are directed to withdraw their services to Abia State Government and stay at home from 12 midnight on Monday, 8th May 2023.
“In the same vein, all Chairpersons and Secretaries of all affiliate unions are to sensitize and mobilize their members for total compliance.
“Remember, the success or otherwise of the strike action lies on our shoulder.”
As at Press time, Government has yet to react to the NLC strike.
