By Hope-Feyisayo Temitope
Members of The Organised Labour in Abia State, has suspended its seven-day strike ultimatum it issued to the state government, scheduled to begin today (Monday).
Prior to the labour union’s threat over a strike, due to the government’s inability to sit for a dialogue over the payment of the expired N30,000 minimum wage and the N35,000 palliative wage award, as approved by the Federal Government.
Following the ultimatum, Governor Alex Otti met with the members of the organised labour in the state, on Sunday, and directed the state Accountant General to discuss and establish with the union within the next week, to reconcile the actual amount that the least paid worker in the state should receive as minimum wage, among other issues.
The state NLC Chairman, Comrade Ogbonnaya Okoro, alleged that the government was currently paying N20,100 while workers in the local governments received N18,000 as minimum wage.
He added that there were a lot of reasons to justify an increase in the national minimum wage, including the removal of petrol subsidy, inflation, and harmonisation of the foreign exchange rate, among others.
Addressing the press on Sunday evening, Okoro warned the state government that failure to adhere to and implement the Memorandum of Understanding reached at the meeting by July 28 would force the union to begin an indefinite strike, without any information to the government to begin a strike.
