Unmet Demands: Kwara workers give 14-day strike notice to govt

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart as well as the Joint Negotiation Council (JNC) in Kwara state have given the state government a 14-day ultimatum to meet their demands or face industrial action.

Addressing journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday at the Labour House, the NLC Chairman, Comrade Muritala Saheed, said, on several occasions, the labour leaders had written to the state government on the demands of workers, lamenting that “there was no change or any attempt to address issues raised in our letters”.

He said: “As we speak today, all industrial unions in the state have one demand or another that requires government attention, but this is not forthcoming as the government has remained invisible/incommunicado. Most pathetic is the fact that government of our dear state has refused to honour or implement all written and gentleman agreements it entered into with labour.”

The demands, he said, include non implementation of N35,000 wage for all categories of workers in the state, refusal to domesticate and implement 40% peculiar allowance as approved and provided for by the federal government, non payment of consequential adjustment to pensioners till date, lack of willingness to pay local government workers outstanding arrears and outstanding arrears for 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Others are non implementation of 100% CONHESS and 100% hazard allowance for health workers at the local government level, inadequate funding of state-owned tertiary institutions, non implementation of 100% CONPASS and CONTEDISS for state tertiary institutions workers, la k of willingness to absorb and proper placement of Kwara Hotel workers without any condition and proper placement of the redeployed Kwara Water Corporation workers into core civil service.

NLC Chairman added: “In view of aforementioned, Congress of Kwara Workers has reviewed the unpalatable disposition of government to workers’ demands and has given it 14 days ultimatum effective from 9th January 2024 to address all issues raised and communicated to government before now.”