The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) on Monday, September 21, threatened to commence a three-day warning strike in Abia state over three years’ unpaid salaries, salary arrears, and promotion benefits owed to local government workers.
The union said 114 local government employees in the state have remained without salaries for almost three years, despite efforts to verify their employment status and resolve the issue.
NULGE, in a letter dated September 21 and signed by its general secretary, comrade Gambo Isah, addressed to the Abia state commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, demanded immediate government intervention to settle the outstanding obligations.
The letter was titled, ‘Urgent demand for immediate resolution of outstanding salaries, salary arrears and promotion implementation for local government employees in Abia state.’
According to the union, of the 114 workers who have gone without salaries for nearly three years, 92 have completed the required verification but remain unpaid, while 22 others are still awaiting verification.
NULGE also disclosed that more than 251 workers who had undergone verification had received only partial salary payments, with accumulated arrears still outstanding.
The union further said local government employees were still owed their November and December 2020 salaries, despite claims that similar salary obligations to workers in other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) had been addressed.
Another major grievance raised by the workers was the alleged failure to implement promotions earned by local government employees since 2021.
The union said the delay had denied workers the financial benefits attached to their career progression.
“Honourable commissioner, these are not merely administrative issues; they directly affect the livelihood, dignity and welfare of hardworking local government employees who have continued to discharge their responsibilities to the state under difficult circumstances,” the union stated.
NULGE said it has exercised considerable patience and repeatedly engaged relevant authorities through dialogue in an effort to maintain industrial peace.
The union said affected workers had also fulfilled verification requirements imposed by the authorities, but that the outstanding issues had nevertheless remained unresolved.
NULGE warned that its ability to guarantee industrial harmony was being undermined by the prolonged withholding of workers’ earned wages and entitlements.
“Workers should not be compelled to continue bearing the consequences of delays that are beyond their control, particularly after complying with all verification and administrative requirements placed before them,” NULGE said.
The union gave the Abia state government until September 30 to resolve the outstanding salary and promotion issues.
NULGE specifically called on the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs to urgently engage the Abia state local government service commission and the office of the accountant-general to resolve the disputes and provide a definite timeline for implementation.
The union warned that failure to achieve substantial compliance by the deadline would trigger industrial action.
“We must respectfully state that the union cannot continue to guarantee industrial harmony in the absence of concrete action on these longstanding demands,” it said.
“Failure to achieve substantial compliance by September 30, 2026 will leave the union with no option but to activate the industrial action already contemplated by the Abia state council, commencing with a three-day warning strike from October 5 to 7, 2026, subject to further directives of the union.”
The union, however, said it hoped the dispute would not escalate to a strike and expressed its readiness to engage the Abia state government in further discussions.
NULGE appealed to the commissioner to treat the matter as one of urgent industrial and humanitarian importance and use his authority to facilitate a prompt resolution.
The development comes amid continuing concerns over the payment of local government workers and the implementation of their statutory employment benefits in the state.
The union said it remained committed to peaceful engagement but warned that prolonged delays in paying workers their earned wages could no longer be sustained indefinitely.
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