Ten days into the ongoing industrial action by the Nigeria Labour Congress in Plateau State, which has grounded activities in all state owned ministries and agencies, the Union has threatened to shut down every sector of the economy in the State.

The union in a demonstration denied State Lawmakers access into the State Assembly complex, accusing them of failing to challenge the executive for not implementing the minimum wage since 2012 after its passage into law, non-payment of 7 months salaries among others.

The workers who assembled in protest Thursday, at the Joseph Gomwalk Secretariat and later moved to the State House of Assembly, in Jos, were led by the State’s NLC Chairman, Comrade Jibrin Bancir.

Bancir while speaking said that, their protest is to intensify struggle for their demand which includes addressing the problem of non-payment of salaries for seven months, non-payment of pensions for seven months, non-payment of gratuity since 2011, none promotion of workers for seven years, local government workers and primary school teachers have been given half salaries since 2011.

“Some workers affected by the biometric exercise carried out by the government to eliminate ghost workers have not been paid for over eighteen months. He lamented.

On efforts made to reach a truce with government, the Union Leader said, “We have opened dialogue for the past two years with this government, thinking we will get any solution but it appears nothing is forth coming, that’s why we decided to embark on an indefinite strike action.

“We are here in the House of Assembly to protest against members of the house because our salaries have been budgeted for and it is an impeachable offense for the governor not to follow the budget; what is the house doing? The house has failed us and we don’t want them to sit until our demands are met, he stressed.

He expressed dismay over the nonchalant attitude of the Legislators, for not giving priority to their request.

“Last week Friday we allowed them to meet with the understanding that they will discuss our issue but they came in to discuss local government amendment laws instead; that means our issue is not important to them. They keep deceiving us while our families are starving, our children can’t go back to school and the health care of our families is threatened. We will remain resolute in the struggle until we achieve the result”.

However, all members of the House of Assembly deserted the premises of the House as none of them was around when the protesters got there.

Meanwhile, the National Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Lucy Offiong, in support of the Plateau State members of the union, also threatened to shut down the country should governors owing state workers refuse to pay before May 29.

“On account of non-payment of workers’ salary, we give Plateau state House of Assembly 14 days to attend to our plight so that our salaries can be paid, or face full demonstration that would paralyze the entire country, Offiong said.

“I don’t know what the House of Assembly members are doing to provide relief to the plight of the civil servants whose children are out of school and cannot afford to feed them”.

count | 822

Plateau workers besieged State Assembly …threatened to shut down every sector of the economy in the State