Workers in Abia State have threatened to go on strike despite Governor Alex Otti’s promise to pay new wages immediately after the Nigerian government ends its negotiation with organised labour.

A final ultimatum by the organised labour of Abia state over the non-payment of N30,000 minimum wage and N35,000 palliative award has been served to the state government.

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Conveyed in a letter dated July 8, 2024, with No.ORGL/ ABS/Vol.11/002 signed by Okoro Ogbonnaya, Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Abia state and Enogwe Ihechi, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman, written to Governor Alex Otti through his Chief of Staff, the organised labour stated that workers in the state would commence an indefinite strike from Monday, July 15, 2024.

The union wrote in the letter that the decision to issue seven days’ notice resulted from the general meeting of organised labour held on Monday, July 8, 2024.

Worth noting, however, is that the union issued a 14-day ultimatum to the state government, which expired without any negotiations with the labour union to attend to workers’ demands.

The letter read in part: “Organised labour hereby issues this final seven (7) days ultimatum with effect from the day of receipt of this letter and states unequivocally that at the expiration of this ultimatum, on Sunday 00hr, there shall be no further communication with the government.

“Rather, the entire workforce of Abia State will proceed on indefinite strike beginning from Monday, July 15, 2024.”

The decision to embark on an indefinite strike aligned with the national directive concerning the Abia State government’s non-compliance.