By Suzan Edeh

Bauchi—The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC and the Joint Public Service Negotiation Council, JPSNC,  in Bauchi State, have ordered their members to embark on an indefinite strike with effect from today, May 13, 2015, if the state government failed to pay them their outstanding March and April salaries.

Labour in the state said that it decided to embark on the indefinite strike action because of the state government’s  failure to pay workers their outstanding remunerations.

This was contained in a communiqué jointly signed by the NLC Chairman, Hashimu Gital and his counterparts in the TUC, Muhammed Usman and the JPSNC, Aliyu Muhammmed in the state respectively after their meeting with the state government which ended in a deadlock yesterday.

The three unions in the communiqué called on the outgoing administration of Isa Yuguda  to pay all outstanding salaries, gratuities and allowances before May 29, 2015.

They also expressed worry over the failure of the state government to pay workers’ salaries and allowances, alleging that the last federal allocation for Bauchi State was used for the payment of severance benefits of the outgoing political office holders and contractors, thereby leaving the workers without salaries.

“Sequel to a letter of demand sent to the Bauchi State government on the May 6, 2015 over non payment of March and April salaries, the organized labour met on May 11, to review  the situation and resolved that labour will commence an indefinite strike action by mid-night of Tuesday 12, 2015,”   the communiqué added.

Labour then ordered all workers in the employment of Bauchi State government to stay away from work and remain at home with effect from 12 am today, until they get further directives.

However, in his reaction to the issue, the Media Aide to Governor Isa Yuguda, Alhaji  Danlami Tanko debunked the allegation that political office holders had been paid their severance benefits and accused labour of playing politics with workers  salaries.