Cross River Workers Suspend Strike

DAVID ODEY/ Calabar

Civil servants in Cross River State have suspended the industrial action which began on 19 June.

They embarked on the industrial action to press for better conditions of service.

In a bulletin dated 3 July, 2017 and made available to journalists, the joint action committee of the state branch of the Nigeria Lbour Congress, NLC, said: “consequent upon a meeting held with the State Government, the Governor,

Prof Ben Ayade has agreed to implement all the 13-point demands by labour. Therefore, workers have been directed to resume work today, 3 July, 2017.”

The ranks of the labour unions appeared to have been broken a few days ago when the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, and the Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, in the state backed out of the strike action on grounds that they were not properly breifed by the NLC.

The action of the affiliate unions was viewded by some members of the NLC as a betrayal of trust.

On Monday, 19 June, 2017, the state branch of the NLC went on an indefinite strike, after accusing Governor Ben Ayade of reneging on a 13-point agreement earlier reached with the government.

Funsho Arogundade