"DICON Civilian Staff Persist with Warning Strike Over Unpaid Allowances, Demand Government Intervention"

Zakari Haruna – Kaduna


The civilian staff of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), Kaduna have continued with their warning strike to press home their demands of non-payment of their allowances.

The aggrieved workers alleged that they have been harassed for demanding what is due to them.

The workers who have been protesting since Tuesday, April 23rd at a factory in the Kakuri area of Kaduna, claiming that they have not been paid their “peculiar” allowances for 8 months and arrears of minimum wage since 2019 as well as promotion arrears from 2022 to 2023.

The workers who were not paid the six-month ‘wage award’ (palliative) approved by the federal government, appealed for the intervention of the Minister to be paid their six-month wage award and enrollment into the IPPIS.

“We discovered that all agencies under the ministry of defence have been enrolled into IPPIS, only DICON staff have not been captured and we don’t know why” one the worker said.

The protesting workers asked the federal government to intervene by directing the management of DICON to respond to their demands, which includes;

1. Enrollment Into IPPIS
2. Payment Of Our 6 Months Palliative Allowance
3. Payment Of 2019 Minimum Wage Arrears
4. Stop Lopsided Payment Of Allowances (Divide And Rule)
5. Payment Of 2022 And 2023 Promotion Arrears.

In a statement refuting a media report on the protest released by Musa Yakubu, Chief Public Relations Officer, DICON, said the corporation maintains a cordial relationship with its staff.

The statement highlighted that DICON’s management prioritizes staff welfare, and efforts have been made to address outstanding allowances and entitlements, including the clearance and disbursement of payments for 2020 and 2021 promotion arrears and 40% Peculiar Allowance for January to December 2023.