A widow slumped during the protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Tuesday in front of the Abia Government House Umuahia.
The protesters had marched through major roads in the capital city before storming the Government House gate where they conveyed their grievances to the State Government.
The peaceful protest was led by the Abia State Chairman of NLC, Comrade Okoro Ogbonnaya.
National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, also joined the protest.
Addressing the protesters and Government officials at the Government House, Abia NLC Chairman, Comrade Okoro, said that the biting economic hardship was already taking a toll on workers.
He called on Government to quickly intervene and save the people from untimely death following the worsening hardship in the land.
The NLC Chairman said that Abia State Government was yet to "either implement the N35,000 palliative wage or set up implementation committee involving labour and government".
He also observed that some Abia workers were yet to be captured in the just concluded workers biometric verification exercise.
The NLC boss regretted that salaries of the affected workers were withheld.
NLC appealed to Governor Alex Otti, to fulfill his inaugural speech of clearing the accumulated salary and pension arrears of Abia workers and pensioners to mitigate their plights.
In a remark, ASUU National President, Professor Osodeke decried the plights of Nigerians under the current administration.
He regretted that while Nigerians are suffering some people are enjoying from the plight of the masses.
Osodeke urged Government to quickly take measures that would mitigate the current hardship in the land.
Responding on behalf of Government, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Labour Matters, Mr Godson Chinedu, thanked the protesters for their peaceful comportment.
He said the Governor was deeply concerned about the plight of Abians as a result of the harsh economy, and promised to convey their grievances to the Governor for necessary actions.
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