THE INTEREST OF STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKERS IN THE IMPENDING STRIKE ACTION
By : Abdurrazzaq Alaranse.
Our federal system of government does not permit federal government to impose wage award on state and local government.
However, Organized Labour should be FAST AND SMART in their negotiation by dragging Femi Gbajabiamila’s Negotiation Team to agree that with the increasing FAAC given to state and local government, any state that falls below the threshold agreed upon at the meeting will be denied some Federal government grants and other interventions.
Organized Labour must factor the interest of state and local government workers into their Negotiation. Anything aside from that is baseless, unyielding, non-inclusive, singularistic and calamitous. Afterall, as much as seventy percent of civil and public servants are with state and local government.
Various state councils of NLC, including our own Comrades-General, IDREES ABDULKAREEM LAFENE, a profound lover of people and chieftaincy title enthusiast should this morning cause a telegraphic message to be sent and delivered to the office of the National President, NLC, expressing the fears and position of state and local government workers.
That telegraphic message should state the obvious, namely, that if the interest of state and local government workers are not captured in the Negotiation, we shall only join the strike in body AND NOT IN SPIRIT. Consequently, state and local government workers may not be ready to cooperate in future National Strike. Afterall, once beaten, twice shy.
