BY CLETUS NGWODO
After 65 days of arrested development, the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), has suspended the two months industrial action embarked upon by its members in 21 of the 25 Local Government Areas in Delta State.
The state President of NULGE and Chairman ,Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade David Ofoeyeno, announced the suspension yesterday in Asaba, at the end of an executive meeting of the union, saying workers were expected to resume work today
The workers had embarked on the strike action on May 11, 2015 to protest unpaid salaries spanning over six months.
Ofoeyeno, who said that the state government had met with NULGE with both parties reaching some agreements, noted that the suspension of the strike was a short-term solution to the workers’ plight, while calling on the state government to as a matter of urgency take over the payment of the primary school teachers’ salaries.
“We have collectively agreed and decided, because of the intervention, interest and commitment showed by the state Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, in resolving this matter, to suspend the strike action.
“The government has made some money available to the councils to pay the workers, at least, three months salaries.
“And for a long-term solution, the state government must, as a matter of urgency, take over the payment of the primary school teachers’ salaries from the council,” he said.
The NULGE boss said that the money made available for the payment of the workers’ salaries had been released and strategies were in place to ensure that it would not be diverted but fully utilized for the purpose its meant for, adding that as a watchdog, the position is that any council that does the contrary would be picketed..
Ofoeyeno said that if there no permanent solution to the recurrent issue of the payment of local government workers salaries, the workers would, in four months’ time, be compelled to resume the strike action.
He said that the money released for the payment of the workers were partly from the Federal Government intervention funds and the state government
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