New Telegraph

Forum to Plateau LG workers: Suspend action over minimum wage

 

Our Reporter

A group, Plateau Concerned Local Government Staff Forum (PLALOCAF), has appealed to local government employees to suspend  their street protests over non-implementation of the new minimum wage at the council level.
The forum said its appeal for the suspension of the action was predicated on the ground that the protest meant to draw attention of the state government to the deplorable plight of workers at the council level and push for implementation of the new minimum wage at the local government level, had been hijacked by opposition politicians and hoodlums alike for selfish reasons.
This was as the group alleged that the protest had become a platform for desperate opposition politicians to make political gains.
The Forum added that the development had been turned into campaigns for the 2023 elections.
A statement, Friday, and signed by representatives from the three senatorial districts of the state, called on members to withdraw from the action to allow relevant bodies negotiate with the government towards amicable resolution.
“We, the entire management and members of Plateau State Concerned Local Staff Forum (PLALOCAF), came together to issue this statement after a critical and painstaking analysis of the over one-month old strike protest embarked upon by our members  and the circumstances that led  to the protest.
“We’ve observe with regret that protesters have continuously blocked the entrance to the Plateau State Secretariat for over three weeks,  thereby preventing civil servants and other legitimate income earners access to the secretariat for their legitimate business.
“This is illegal and worrisome. This development which we have found to be sponsored by some self-seeking and desperate opposition politicians in the state is a threat to peace and stability of the state,” the group said.
The statement further read: “While we admit that local government staff have absolute rights to protest over their grievances, we must state without fear or favour that the protest have been hijacked by some failed politicians who are out to get at the government of Governor Simon Bako Lalong at all cost. We must not  allow that.
“This act negates the purpose and intent of this protest and we are appealing to all members  to call off the protest without further delay and allow our umbrella body NULGE, negotiate with the state government and other stakeholders,” the group said.
PLALOCAF added: “Our message has been passed to the government at all levels and from the engagement held between government and our leadership,we, the concerned members are satisfied with the feedback from our leadership and  we hereby withdraw from protest immediately.
“We appeal to our all colleagues to stand down the protest and allow our leadership engage with the government and other stakeholders to find an amicable solution.
“Plateau belongs to all of us irrespective of our  political, religious and ethnic alignments, the unity, peace,  and stability of the state should be paramount to us and not our interest alone.
“We can only eat and sleep in peace when there is peace. Collecting money, food and other supplies from opposition politicians, and allowing thugs who are not local government staff to infiltrate us is not only dangerous but a serious threat to peace and unity of our state.”

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