By Enyim Enyim

ONITSHA—The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees(NULGE), has threatened to declare trade disputes between it and the governments of Abia and Imo, should the two states fail to pay the arrears of salaries and allowances owed local government workers in their respective states before the end of the year.

National Vice President of the union in the South East, Chief Goddy Ibekwe,  who spoke with Vanguard weekend, said the state presidents and secretaries of the unions in the two states had been mandated to immediately begin discussions with their respective Governors with a view to making sure the backlog of arrears of salaries are paid to the workers.

“Where the Governors fail to pay these arrears, the NULGE leadership in those states have been mandated to declare a trade dispute immediately because the issue of workers wages is a right and not a privilege as some state Governors have come to believe”, he said.

Ibekwe  said the South East zonal leadership of the union would soon wade into the issue of non appointment of local government workers on grade level 16 to the position of Head of Administration of  local government of GL17.

According to Ibekwe, the position is an appointive one in line with the scheme of service of the federation and not based on promotion as state Governors, especially in the South East see it.