Taraba Workers Dare Gov Ishaku Over Minimum Wage
Begin indefinite strike March 28
BY AMEH IDUJAGI, JALINGO – The Taraba State Joint Public Service Negotiating Council says its members will on March 28, 2021 commenced an indefinite strike over the state government non-implementation of the N30,000 new minimum wage.
The workers are angry with Governor Darius Ishaku and have therefore resolved that his administration must immediately honour existing agreement it had with labour leaders in October 2020 or face the consequences of its nonchalant attitude towards the State workforce.
A statement issued in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital on Thursday by the aggrieved workers claimed that government had in the said agreement promised to commence payment of the new minimum wage before the first quarter of 2021.
Signed by the State Chairman of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Peter Jediel and two others, the statement accused the government of deliberately refusing to respect the agreement with its workers while political office holders continue to feed fat on public resources.
Jediel said it is regrettable that the government does not appreciate the path of peace embraced by workers in the state, adding that since this peaceful path has not yielded the required results, the workers are now resorting to the indefinite strike beginning from Sunday night, March 28, 2021
“It is no longer news that the Taraba State government has demonstrated high insensitivity to the plight of workers in the state. We wrote a demand letter dated February 2nd arising from the memorandum of understanding signed on 7th October 2020 but the government has failed to respond to it till date.
“Hopes for the implementation of the new national minimum wage through peaceful means are apparently lost. Therefore, the organized labour in the state hereby direct all workers to resume the earlier suspended strike action by 12:00 hours midnight on Sunday, 28th March 2021”, the statement said.
The Labour leader said besides government’s inability to implement the new minimum wage, it has been frustration galore for workers following the non-payment of local government staff for about six months running.
Forefront recall that about two weeks ago, Primary school teachers in the state had a face-off with hoodlums while converging at the NUT House in Jalingo to offer prayers that God touches the heart of Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku to settle their six months outstanding salaries without further delay.
