STRIKE PARALYSES GOVT ACTIVITIES IN PLATEAU

 
Jos-Activities in Plateau State ministries, education and health institutions remain paralysed as the strike by the various workers union drags into the fourth week over the new minimum wage.

While the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC,  and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, initially declared an industrial action over alleged refusal by government to implement the new minimum wage over three weeks ago, workers of the state owned tertiary institutions and the health workers also have separate grounds of dispute with government.

This has resulted in a near total paralysis of activities on the education and health sectors with no sign of a resolution as both government and the labour unions continue to trade blames over the issues at stake.

While the workers accuse the state government of insincerity in the negotiation process by allegedly reneging on agreements reached, government is, on the other hand, accusing the workers of being used by its opponents.

Government through the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Yiljap Abraham last week threatened to invoke the no work, no pay rule against the striking workers saying it has already accepted to pay the new minimum wage with a table that gave workers marginal increase in salary across board.

But the workers condemned government's threat accusing it of refusing to negotiate the salary table presented by workers but acted unilaterally in arriving at a new table.

At a joint press conference addressed by the various workers unions, they declared: 'We made bold to say that name-calling, blackmail, threat and other antics will never deter us from pursuing our legitimate cause. We therefore categorically state that we are still on strike and we shall remain on strike until all issues are resolved through commitment and agreement.'