News Investigator/ Some local government workers in Gwagwalada Area Council have commended FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike for his intervention in calling off their three-month strike over unpaid minimum wage and welfare arrears.
The workers expressed their joy in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Gwagwalada.
A NAN correspondent, who visited the Council’s Secretariat at 10 a.m. reports that the secretariat was still scanty as few workers were seen in the premises.
Some of the workers who were present told NAN that, although they have complied with the directive of the union to resume work; most members of staff were yet to resume duty.
NAN also reports that the Local Government workers in FCT, under the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), had embarked on an indefinite strike due to non-payment of minimum wage arrears.
NULGE, in a communiqué on monday, jointly signed by the FCT, NULGE President, Ibrahim Kabi, and the Secretary, Abdulmumin Sa’ad, officially announced the suspension of the strike.
Mr Solomon Adejoh, a member of staff in Gwagwalada Area Council, said the three months strike had really disrupted a lot of activities in the council.
He added that the chairmen should not allow strike to be the solution to workers’ outcry.
Adejoh said he was happy to resume work after three months of being unproductive.
“For the past three months, it has not been easy staying at home and doing nothing. The council chairmen should always pay workers their dues in order to avert situations like this.
“It is not fair withholding the entitlement of workers after working. The unpaid arrears we are demanding for, is our right and not out of place”, he said.
He pleaded with the chairmen to pay workers the outstanding arrears soon, adding that the present economic situation in the country is not friendly.
On her part, Mrs Theresa Idawoji, a worker in the council, expressed optimism that, with the intervention of the FCT minister, the arrears would be paid soon.
Idawoji said that workers do not derive any joy in embarking on strike as a way of making their demands known, but they will have no choice, if that is the only way to air their displeasure and grievances.
She said that a lot of revenues had been lost during the three months strike, adding that no economy would grow and make progress with strike action always.
“No country will make progress in a situation of going back and forth in the name of strike; a lasting solution should be proffered by our leaders to tackle the problem of incessant strike in Nigeria.
“Government should not always wait for workers to embark on strike before their demands will be given attention”, she said.
Similarly, Mr Abdulhamid Adamu, a worker at the council, pleaded with the chairmen not to go back on any of the resolutions reached with NULGE in order for workers not to resume strike again.
NAN
