Members of National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Plateau State chapter on Wednesday took to the streets in Jos demonstrating against the state government refusal to implement the N18, 000 minimum wage and the government stand on no work no pay rule for the period the workers were on strike.
The protesting workers stormed the State House of Assembly to press further for their demand on the implementation of the minimum wage. The aggrieved workers, dressed in black attires, gathered at the Jos north local government area and in their hundreds moved in procession to the parliament amidst tight security through some major roads in the metropolis to express their grievances.
The Chairman, Jos North local government chapter of NULGE, James Nyam reinstated the union determination to continue with the industrial action until the government soft pedal on its highhandedness and negotiate with the workers that have been on strike for the past six months.
Mr Nyam appealed to the workers to remain steadfast and avoid actions that could jeopardize the struggle of the workers and not to allow miscreants hijack the procession.
Political solution
The Plateau House of Assembly appealed to the protesting workers to adopt political solution to the ongoing strike.
Diket Plang, the Chairman, House Committee on Information made the call at a press briefing in Jos.
“We are pleading for political intervention in this matter because we are people’s representatives.
“The problems of the people we represent should be our major concern, we are still pleading that government and labour should come to terms to dialogue over this issue,” Mr Plang said.
According to the lawmaker, the parties must sit down to find amicable solution to the problem.
He however, debunked the claim that assemblymen scrambled over the windows and fence to escape when the striking workers visited the assembly premises to register their grievances.
He said that none of the assemblymen was present during the protest visit of the local government workers, led by the organised labour.
