For the failure of the Bauchi State government to pay outstanding March and April salaries, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC and the Joint Public Service Negotiation Council, JPSNC, in the state, have called their members out for an indefinite strike with effect from today, May 13.

According to the labour unions, they decided to embark on the indefinite strike action because the state government has failed to pay workers in the state their outstanding remunerations.

This was stated in a communiqué signed by the NLC Chairman, Hashimu Gital, his counterparts in the TUC, Muhammed Usman and the JPSNC, Aliyu Muhammmed, after their meeting with the state government which deadlocked yesterday.

The communiqué also called on the outgoing administration in the state to pay all outstanding remunerations before leaving office on the 29th of May.

The union, which said it was worried by the failure of the government to pay workers’ salaries, said the last federal allocation to Buachi State was used to pay the severance benefits of outgoing political office holders and contractors, leaving workers in the state without salaries.

“Sequel to a letter of demand sent to the Bauchi State government on the May 6, 2015 over nonpayment of March and April salaries, the organized labour met on May 11, to review the situation and resolved that labour will commence an indefinite strike action by mid-night of Tuesday 12, 2015,” the communiqué added.

Reacting, the Media Aide to Governor Isa Yuguda, Alhaji Danlami Tanko, denied the allegation that the state government has paid the severance allowance of public office holders, adding that labour was only trying to play politics with workers ‘salaries.

He debunked the allegation that political office holders had been paid their severance benefits and accused labour of playing politics with workers’ salaries.