Kwara council workers seek stakeholders’ intervention in salary dispute

The striking local government workers in Kwara State have urged stakeholders in the state to help appeal to the state government over their unpaid five months salary arrears to save them from present economic depression.

The Guardian recalls that members of National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in the state had embarked on strike action since last week Thursday over unpaid salary arrears.

State Secretary of the NULGE in the state, Mr. Abayomi Afolabi, said members of the union had suffered untold hardship due to the unpaid emoluments said to be running into billions of Naira.

According to Afolabi,”We have now joined our colleagues in other states who had embarked on the strike a long time ago. Initially, we didn’t join because we thought we would be able to manage it. But at present, we have no choice than to join and it is a total strike until we are paid,” he said.

Afolabi said most members had withdrawn their children from school, as they could no longer afford payment of school fees, adding that they were indebted to so many food sellers, and landlords.

The local government workers, who said several efforts made to the concerned authorities over the salary issue had not yielded results, added that they had written letters to the state government on the matter without any action being taken.

Besides, Afolabi called on traditional institutions, religious leaders and political leaders in the state to intervene, said poverty was already taken over their family lives.