Unions Withdraw From Planned Labour Strike In Akwa Ibom

Ahead of the planned strike called by the Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) slated to begin tomorrow, affiliate unions including the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), National Union of Pensioners (NUP), the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JPNSC) and others have backed out of the action.

The NLC chairman in the state, Comrade Sunny James, had given the state government a seven-day ultimatum within which to implement the N32,000 pension cash to pensioners as directed by the National Income and Wages Commission (NIWC).

He also explained that the strike option became necessary for the state government to address the alleged discriminatory treatment meted out to four staff members of the State Assembly Service Commission (SASC), who were accused of workplace diabolism and later demobilised to roam in the main civil service without proper postings.

But after their separate meetings at the weekend, the affiliate unions resolved to boycott the proposed strike and declared their unalloyed loyalty to government.

NULGE leadership in a communique jointly signed by its state chairman, Comrade Anestina Iweh, and the state secretary, Comrade Ofunne Christopher Chidi, announced its withdrawal, describing the proposed protest strike as a personal vendetta.

“Governor Umo Eno, has kept faith with local government workers by clearing gratuity arrears from 2014-2018, and currently 2019; paying pensions promptly, settling leave grants, and paying promotion arrears. With these strides, NULGE sees no justification to participate in the proposed NLC protest.

We stand firmly with the governor and pledge continued solidarity with his administration,” the communique read.

In the same vein, the NUP expressed displeasure over the planned action, noting that “the NLC step is wrong,” and, therefore, its withdrawal.

The NUP pensioners noted that the NLC’s major demand which is the N32,000 pension increase, had already been discussed with the Head of the Civil Service (HoCS), Elder Effiong Essien, on August 26, 2025.

“The implementation date is not yet due. We therefore direct all our members not to join the protest, but to await the outcome of the agreement already reached with the HoCS,” the pensioners stated.

In a separate development, one of the affected workers, Sir Jeremiah Efe, an accountant earlier posted from the Assembly Service Commission to another ministry, who is now a director in charge of the Account and Finance at the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, also issued a formal letter dissociating himself from the planned protest and strike action.

On its part, the JPSNC, rising from an emergency meeting on September 10 in Uyo, reviewed the NLC’s grievances over staff postings at the Assembly Service Commission, and the non-implementation of the N32,000 pension increase.

In its resolution, JPSNC declared, “Given the divisions within the labour movement, we are not part of the planned NLC protest. We urge the government and unions to embrace dialogue because it’s better to jaw-jaw rather than war-war – in resolving all outstanding issues.”

The resolution was signed by the chairman, JPSNC, Comrade Etido Udo, and the Secretary, Comrade Kingsley Ekong.

However, the special adviser to the governor on Labour Relations, Sir Udo Kerian Akpan, explained that the issue in contention was already a settled matter arguing that “there is no need for any protest or strike by any union or person.”