Salary arrears: Plateau workers begin strike, seal up schools, LG secretariats

Schools and local government secretariats in Plateau State were sealed up by labour leaders on Tuesday following the commencement of strike by workers over non-payment of salaries by the state government.
The state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Monday, declared the beginning of the strike from midnight, to press home demand for payment of backlog of salary arrears, amongst others.
In Pankshin, Mangu, Kanke councils, secretariats and public primary and secondary schools are under lock and key.
As early as 7. 00 a.m., the NLC, NUT and NULGE leaders were at the schools and council secretariats and demanded from the security men all the keys to the offices and subsequently locked the gates.
Some students, who were not aware of the development, went to schools only to be stopped and sent back home, while boarding students were seen packing their luggage and heading home.
Principal officers of the councils, including chairmen, secretaries and directors, were not allowed access into the secretariats by the union leaders.
Mr Pankyes Benwuk, Pankshin NULGE Chairman, told NAN that the strike was “indefinite“ and would only be called off if the state government would meet their demands.
“This government seems not to have the interest of its workers at heart by the way and manner it is treating us.
“It seems the government is only interested in using us for politics and nothing else; if not, for over four or six months, some workers were working without receiving their salaries, “ he said.
Benwuk said that non-implementation of the Minimum Wage at the councils, “unending” bi metric exercise for staff and non-payment of salaries were the main crux of the strike.
He called on his co-workers to be patient and remain calm as they observed the strike.
Reacting to the situation, Commissioner for Information, Mr Abubakar Badu, said “the financial disposition of government is not peculiar to Plateau.
“We are affected by the global recession which has resulted in fall in oil price and affected statutory allocation”.
He appealed to the workers to bear with government and reconsider their action by calling off the strike in the interest of the state.