An agreement has been successfully reached between the labour union and the government of Niger State, led by Governor Mohammed Bago, following a strike by the Niger State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The strike, which began on Wednesday, was called by the NLC after the state government failed to meet the workers’ demands. As a result, public offices were shut down, and civil servants were absent from work.

In response to the strike, Governor Bago convened a meeting with the labour leaders at the council chamber of the Niger State Government House. The meeting concluded with both parties singing the labour solidarity anthem, signifying a positive resolution.

During a press briefing after the meeting, Idrees Lafene, the state NLC chairman, announced that all raised issues had been resolved through fruitful discussions.

“We have addressed and resolved all the issues that were raised. Currently, we have an agreement in place with the government. For instance, regarding the wage award, the government has agreed to implement a N20,000 increase across the board for state and local government workers by March.”

Lafene continued, “Additionally, the leave grant issue will be spread over six months and paid once for now. Furthermore, a tripartite committee comprising the House of Assembly, the executive, and the labour has been established to review the matter of reversed appointments.”

He also mentioned that he would communicate the outcome of the meeting with the governor to the union members, emphasizing that only the union members had the authority to call off the strike.

Governor Bago expressed confidence that the labour union would indeed end the strike now that all contentious issues had been resolved.

“We have reached a resolution, and we assure the people of Niger State that all the raised issues have been addressed. The outstanding arrears have been resolved, and we have signed a solid agreement between the Labour and the state government.”

He further explained, “Regarding the leave grant, it is no longer applicable; it has been consolidated into the salary structure. Unfortunately, some individuals received their leave grant in 2019, while others did not. As for the issue of appointments, it is the nomenclature rather than the appointments themselves. A tripartite committee has been established to review the existing laws and propose a better resolution.”

Governor Bago reassured Nigerians and residents of Niger State that normalcy would be restored in public offices.