Public service workers may go on strike any time soon over poor remuneration and the Federal Government’s delay in increasing their salaries. The workers accused the Federal Government of refusing to yield to their calls for salary increase for over two years now. Already, all the eight unions in the public service, under the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, JNPSNC have put workers on notice for an indefinite strike. The decision to embark on the strike came after their negotiations with the government ended in a deadlock last week. Addressing journalists in Abuja last week, the Chairman of JNPSNC and President of ASCSN, Olakunle Olaitan, said the unions, under the auspices of the joint council, had done everything possible to ensure that government addresses the issues at hand. Failure to arrive at a workable conclusion however had necessitated the option of strike.
“The negotiation was deadlocked. Strike is the next option. JNPSNC shall meet next week (this week) to mobilise workers. At present, there is a serious problem of disparity in salaries and wages payable for work of substantial equal value within the public service", he said.
According to him, the unions have succeeded in getting the government to understand the need for salary and wage review, but it had refused to take concrete action on it since they had been meeting on the matter over the last two years.