Civil servants in Ebonyi State on Monday commenced a one-week warning strike to press home their demand for the continued payment of the 50 per cent salary increase.
In Abakaliki, the state capital, offices were locked while workers stayed outside in groups, discussing.
Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in the South-East state, Mr Ikechukwu Nwafor, said that there was total compliance with the directive.
“The organised labour is monitoring the various ministries as the workers have resolved not to tolerate any salary cut by the state government.
“We totally condemn the salary cut by the government because the practice of slashing a salary structure already under implementation is not obtainable anywhere in the world,” he said.
Nwafor urged the workers to stay at home and take directives from the labour leaders and not from any other source.
“The strike will last till the end of the week and if the government refuses to cooperate, we will take the normal procedure of legitimately getting what is due to us,” he said.
The Special Assistant to the Governor on Labour Matters, Mrs Grace Chukwu, has advised the workers to report to their duty posts.
“Any worker who does not report to his or her duty will be seen to have absconded, as the government is determined to ensure that their welfare is enhanced always,” she said.
