Government workers in Akwa Ibom have put on hold their planned strike action slated for today over disagreement with the state government on the payment of the N18,000 minimum wage.
The state chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Uyinme Usoro said after an intense negotiation meeting with the state government officials held at government House in Uyo that the strike action has to be called off based on the assurances given by the government team and the withdrawal of a selective and vexatious memo earlier issued by the state government on the minimum wage.
Comrade Usoro also said that government had agreed that the N18,000 minimum wage would now be implemented for all categories of workers in the state civil service and not only for those on grade levels 01- 06, as contained in the said memo.
Also addressing newsmen shortly after the meeting, the Chief of Staff to the state Governor Mr. Godwin Afangideh who spoke on behalf of the state government said that the meeting was convened to appeal to the Labour Leaders to shelve their planned rally and strike because of the absence of the state Governor, Chief Godswill
Akpabio whom he said was currently on a working visit to the United States of America.
Afangideh, however, assured the union of government readiness to reopen further negotiations on all contentious issues concerning the minimum wage as soon as the Governor returned to the country.
He added that the government was committed to the improvement of workers welfare.
The Chief of staff who disclosed that necessary arrangement had been put in place to pay workers in the state based on the old salary structure pending the final resolution of the salary impasse thanked the workers for their understanding and assured that latest by next week Friday all issues related to the minimum wage would be resolved.
?