Imo Workers Begin One Week Warning Strike Today

All Imo State workers including civil servants, teachers and local
government workers are to begin a one-week warning strike today over
non-payment of salaries by the state government.

The warning strike which begins today, ends Friday 31st July, 2015.

A statement issued in Owerri yesterday jointly signed by the State
Chairman of NLC Comrade Austin Chilapku, state NULGE Chairman
B.I.Onuoha, NAM Chairman Dr. Hyacinth Emele, Trade Union Congress
Chairman B.C.Akalazu among other union leaders, directed workers to
proceed on the strike.

The resolve by the state workers to embark on the strike according to
the statement followed the failure of the state government to pay
three months salaries owed them.

Daily Trust investigations showed that other gray areas generating
serious condemnation among workers is the disparity in the method of
payment of workers adopted by the state government.

The methods according to workers, include payment of one month out of
the three as well as paying senior level workers, leaving those in
the juniors cadre as is practiced by some ministries.
Workers noted that in the ministry of justice, full salaries of judges
are paid whiles those in the lower categories are not paid with same
scenario playing out in the state's House of Assembly where salaries
of lawmakers are paid in full while that of other workers are paid
half salaries.

Meanwhile, alerted of the planned strike, Governor Rochas Okorocha has
appealed to the workers to shun their planed action for the
interesting of the state.

Okorocha who just arrived the Imo International Cargo Airport from the
United States of America, said that the planned strike may not be
healthy now considering the precarious economic situation facing the
country.

While assuring workers of payment of all salaries, he reminded them of
the need to obey an agreement between them and the state government on
the issue.

He used the forum to invite the aggrieved workers for a meeting on
Wednesday 29th July, 2015 where some of the grey areas would be
resolved.

The governor condemned the refusal of NULGE workers to collect their
cheque while advising workers to reconsider their plans and shun the
strike for the interest of peace.

-DailyTrust