Labour Congress in Abia State has announced plans to initiate an indefinite strike starting on Tuesday due to pensions owed to its members by the out-going state government led by Okezie Ikpeazu.

Pascal Nweke, the state chairman of the NLC, revealed this to journalists on Monday. He stated that an agreement had been reached and signed by both parties after discussions were held with the state government; however, nothing had been done afterward.

Nweke also revealed that the state government has been engaging in discriminatory salary payments by paying local government staff their March salaries while owing other workers over 36 months’ salaries.

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During the 2023 Workers Day celebration in Umuahia, Nweke identified the debts owed to Abia workers, including Senior Secondary School Teachers, Junior Secondary School Teachers, Abia Line Network, Local Government staff, Hospital Management Board, ABSUTH Aba, ABSU, Abia Poly, ASCETA Arochukwu, and ASUBEB Headquarters.

Nweke indicated that the union would wait to see if the state government took any action before passing the debt to the next administration. He urged the workers to be prepared for the strike on Tuesday until the union accomplished its goal.

Onyii Wamah, the Head of Service, called for dialogue, stating that the state government had always paid its workers and that it was not in its character to owe them.

However, attempts to reach Chris Ezem, the Secretary to the State Government, were unsuccessful as his phone line was unavailable.