Spurred by the sufferings of its members, the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Delta State Chapter has issued 21days ultimatum to Delta State Government to pay up a 13 months salaries arrears of its workers or face disruptive industrial action.
Expressing the Union's discontent over the non-payment of salaries of Local Government workers in the range of 8-13 months, NULGE State Secretary, Comrade Peter Ene said the Union can no longer endure the excruciating and suffocating pains and agonies being experienced by its members which have caused them untimely death due to hunger, frustration and inability to pay medical bills.
The Union posited that it vehemently rejects the payment of Primary school teachers’ salaries at the expense of the Local Government workers, a situation that had caused a face-off between the State NUT and NULGE, culminating in teachers two weeks strike last month.
According to the NULGE scribe, the State Executive Council has therefore resolved on a two point demand from the State Government after a careful and exhaustive deliberation of the issues under review.
Firstly, that the State Government should revert to the old order of uniform payment of both Local Government employees and Primary schools teachers with the resources available.
The second demand is for the State Government to reinstate the #600 million augmentation fund for payment of Primary school teachers’ salaries introduced by two previous administrations as Local Government council can no longer alone bear the burden.
The Union therefore resolved that it will be left with no other option than to invoke the instrument of industrial action if the State Government declines to accede to their demands.
"The state executive council resolved to declare a trade dispute and give a 21-day ultimatum to the state government commencing from Friday 5th May,2017 within which all arrears of salaries ranging from 8-13 months should be paid or be ready to face industrial action", Comrade Ene stated.
The Union said it will organise mass protests rally in the three senatorial districts within the 21-day ultimatum, while the mother of all rallies will hold in Asaba and with the National President of NULGE, civil society groups and Human Right activists to be in attendance.
Meanwhile, the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa had reiterated at the May 1 Workers Day event that the state government does not owe neither does it have any financial obligations to council workers in the state, adding that his administration is presently constrained by paucity of funds occasioned by the economic recession.
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