UYO – The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Akwa Ibom chapter, has commenced indefinite strike against non-payment of four months salaries to its members.
Speaking with newsmen in Uyo, the state Chairman of NULGE, Mr. Felix Udo, said the strike started on Monday.
Udo said apart from unpaid salaries and allowances of workers in Abak, Ikono, Ikot Ekpene and Uyo local government areas, retired members had not been paid gratuities since 2009.
The NULGE boss said another reason for the strike was the irregular computation of salaries and allowances of local government workers by one of the new generation banks in the state.
“Local Government Chairmen in the state have been insensitive to the plight of workers. We have been negotiating with them on these issues, but all our pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
“In Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area, the workers are owed four months salaries, Abak workers are being owed two months salaries.
“Ikono workers are owed two months salaries, Ini and Uruefong Uruko workers are owed one month salaries each”, Udo added.
He held that promotion of workers in the local governments had not been implemented since 2008 in the state.
Udo also said that workers in the state’s local governments had not been paid their leave grants for 2012, 2013 and 2014.
He appealed to Governor Godswill Akpabio to intervene in the matter so that the workers could have a pleasant Yuletide with their families.
Udo, however, stressed that the affected workers will not go back to work until all their demands were met.
In a reaction, Chairman of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Mr. Nse Ntuen, attributed the situation to dwindling resources of the local government councils.
Ntuen, who is Chairman of Essien Udim local government area, said the association was working hard in conjunction with the State Government to solve the problem as soon as possible.
