The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Civil Society Situation Room have thrown their weight behind workers in Kaduna state, who have threatened to embark on a strike to press against the deductions of their salaries and pensions by the Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai and other governors treating workers poorly following the Covid-19 pandemic.
This was disclosed in a communique reached at the end of a meeting by the stakeholders in Abuja signed by the NLC President Ayuba Waba; NLC General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja; Country Director of Action Aid, Ene Obi and the Chairman of LASCO, Abuja, Jaiye Gaskiya as they condemned and rejected the arbitrary deductions of salary of workers.
“The Labour-Civil Society Situation Room on Covid-19 unequivocally condemns and rejects the arbitrary deduction in the salaries and pension of workers and pensioners, respectively, by the Kaduna state government and other states. We throw our weight behind the ultimatum by our workers in the affected states for a reversal of the unjust decision. We fully stand by workers’ resolve to embark on a strike action if their demands are not met.
“The Labour-Civil Society Situation Room reviewed the decision by the Kaduna State government and a few other states to deduct the salaries of workers in their states including healthcare workers battling the Covid-19 challenge. Even worse is the threat by Governor Nasir El-Rufai to sack affected workers if they go on strike.
“This anti-worker practice championed by the Kaduna State government violates the fundamental principles and rights at work. These principles and rights are key components of the International Labour Organization (ILO) global labour standards and are also codified in our laws. The infringement of these rights is a crude abuse of power and akin to modern day slavery.
“Wages are binding contracts which cannot be unilaterally or arbitrarily reviewed. It is unfortunate that while some states are giving incentives to workers at this time of grave health emergency, in line with global trend, Kaduna State is taking away from workers and pensioners. This is nothing but a full-blown industrial tyranny,” the Communique said.
Labour and the Civil Society said the continued incidence of job losses, income deprivation and denial of the means of livelihood for workers by some employers in Nigeria on the excuse of Covid-19 is a source of worry to us.
“We demand that state governments must reciprocate federal government’s gesture in granting moratorium on repayment of budget support palliatives by paying workers and pensioners their full entitlements,” they said.
They also renewed calls for investigation on how states used the palliatives and Paris Club refunds and demanded that private sector employers should stop the retrenchment of workers in the guise of Covid-19 as such moves would only impair efforts geared at economic revitalization.
The labour and civil society leaders further called for the scrapping of security votes from the budgeting system in Nigeria by many political office holders in the executive branch of government given the abuse.
“Security votes should be appropriated and accounted for like every other budget item. We call on political office holders to reduce their salaries and allowances in order to free up finances for other areas of national developmental needs.
“We also call for an end to medical and education tourism for elected public officials and their families and immediate stop to the practice of borrowing to finance consumption,” they said.
