Minimum Wage: Niger Workers Embark on Strike

TRACKING____Despite the appeals made to the organized labour by Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, workers in Niger State on Wednesday began “an indefinite and total strike” to press home their demand for full payment of the N30,000 minimum wage.

The strike followed a breakdown of talks between organized labour and representatives of the state government headed by the Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Ketso.

Governor Bello had on Tuesday appealed to the workers to shelve the strike in the interest of peace and progress of the state.

However, following the deadlock in the talks and inability of the government team to reach the governor, who is said to be outside the country on the way forward, labour was forced to call out its members to embark on strike.

As a result, the main gate to the state secretariat was locked with officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) stationed there to turn back workers who had reported for work.

Also, all primary, post primary and tertiary educational institutions owned by the government were locked with the pupils who had reported for the day’s academic work sent home.

THISDAY also observed the presence of men of the local vigilante at the entrances of the Minna General Hospital and the IBB Specialist Hospital denying patients and their relations entry into the facilities.

The vehicles of the state transport authority were unable to ply their routes as a result of the strike.

It was however gathered that government again on Wednesday invited labour officials for a meeting on how to resolve the impasse.

As at press time, the meeting was still on-going, as no labour or government official could be reached for reaction.