Workers in the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, have embark on a full bloom strike following the non-implementation of the agreement reached at the end of the three days warning strike they embarked on in October 2015.
The Workers under the National Union of Local Government Employee (NULGE) FCT Chapter embark on an indefinite strike to press home their demands for the payment of three months salary. Kwali Area Council is locked up due to the strike
The strike which commenced on Monday 29th February 2016 has led to complete shutdown of activities in the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory.
Speaking to Socialist Worker, the president of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Alhassan Yakubu Abubakar said unequivocally that there is no going back on the strike until their three month old salaries arears are fully paid.
He said the Union had exhausted all possible avenues to ensure that the agreement reached after the three-day warning strike was honoured and implemented. He said while on their own part they honoured the agreement reached by calling off the warning strike, this was not so with the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
The president of NULGE FCT Chapter said they had recently met with leadership of the National Assembly on this issue. The Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives had promised that the salaries arears would be paid within the shortest possible time. But there was no result.
The strike is also paralysing activities in the health sectors in all the area councils. Patients are turned away from all the primary health care hospitals across Federal Capital Territory.
When Socialist Worker visited the area councils, the area council secretariats were under lock and key.
– Peter Adejobi
