11th September, 2012
Workers of local councils in Ogun state, western Nigeria will begin Wednesday a three-day warning strike to protest the irregular payment of their salaries and the denial by government of other welfare packages.
A statement issued in Abeokuta on Tuesday and signed by Mr Bamidele Oyeniran, the state Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees directed the workers to stay at home as from Wednesday.
Oyeniran said the decision followed the failure of the state government to act on the their grievances.
“The decision to embark on the warning strike was taken at the State Executive Council meeting of NULGE held on Monday, following the failure of the state government to take advantage of the days of grace given to it.
“The state government has remained adamant by not showing any commitment to the union’s demands,’’ he said.
He recalled that the union had earlier given the government a 14-day strike notice and a separate one week notice which were ignored .
Oyeniran noted that it was only this week that the state government released the funds allocated to the local councils for July.
According to him, the state government has not shown any sign of seriousness, saying its representatives at the recent negotiation with the union only resorted to pleading but were not ready to shift ground or make any commitment.
He said the warning strike was to put pressure on the state government to take action to avoid an indefinite strike.