NLC directs workers in Abuja councils to begin strike

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council, has directed all workers in the six area councils of the FCT to begin an indefinite strike from 1 December.

The chairman of the council, Knabanyi Adalo, gave the directive in a statement in Abuja on Saturday.

Mr Idalo explained that this was in adherence to a communique by the NLC National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on 8 November in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

He said that the NEC in the communique, appealed to the councils’ chairpersons to implement the N70,000 national minimum wage.

He, however, said that the chairpersons had refused to respond to the demand for implementation of the minimum wage in their respective area councils.

Mr Idalo said that in response to this inaction, the organised labour in its State Administrative Council meeting held on 12 November, unanimously resolved to adhere strictly to the national directive to embark on an indefinite strike.

He said this directive is subject to any government’s failure to implement the national minimum wage on or before the last day of November.

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“The state administrative council also noted with deep frustration the persistent delay and outright refusal by the area councils’ chairmen to pay some pending entitlements to the workers, including the outstanding arrears of primary school teachers,” Mr Adalo said.

According to him, failure to implement the new national minimum wage is a gross violation of the law and a total disregard for the welfare and well-being of workers in the area councils.

“Therefore, all workers in the six area councils in FCT are hereby directed without hesitation to proceed on an indefinite strike beginning from December 1, until further directives,” he said.

(NAN)