Workers in the food and beverage sector are set to begin a nationwide strike over what they described as “failure by employers’ body to review salary.”

The workers, under the aegis of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB), would begin the strike after Monday midnight.

Mr Quadri Olaleye, the FOBTOB President and its General Secretary, Solomon Iji, on Monday, said they had signed a letter urging members in multinational companies to start the strike.

They said their employers had failed to implement reached agreement, recalling that the union protested on Dec. 7 over same issue in solidarity with members of Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE).

The union leaders said FOBTOB wanted employers to review salary upward by 20 per cent and not by 14 per cent as proposed by AFBTE.

They urged members to begin the strike “because discussion with AFBTE to review salary of members broke down.

“It is a biannual collective agreement to review salaries and fringe benefits but AFBTE maintained its position that it is satisfied with the current status quo.

“AFBTE says it will continue discussion in early 2018, insisting that FOBTOB members accept the 14 per cent offer.”

However, the union leaders said in the letter that it was unacceptable to continue to discriminate against its members and that the 14 per cent was the lowest offered to senior staff in the past 17 years.

Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) had condemned the decision of the AFBTE.

Its President, Mr Bobboi Kaigama, said in a statement that the 20 per cent increase before the National Joint Negotiating Council as proposed by FOBTOB was reasonable.

Kaigama urged AFBTE to review its stand as attempt to allow the strike to prolong would affect the economy. (NAN)

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