Workers in Kwara State employment may be on war path with Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq-led government in the state any moment from now, over government’s reluctance to pay N30,000 as specified by the Minimum Wage Act enacted late last year by the government of the federation.
BusinessDay reports that workers under aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) have jointly given the state government a 14-day ultimatum to effect payment of N30,000 minimum wage or be faced with attendant strike and industrial disharmony if new minimum wage payment was not effected.
At the emergency congress jointly presided over by Aliyu Issa, state chairman of NLC; Kolawole Nasir, state chairman of TUC, and Saliu Suleiman, state chairman of JNC in Ilorin after a deadlocked meeting with the state government, workers issued a 14-day ultimatum, backdated to January 31, 2020, asking all the workers to begin three-day fasting and prayer as part of spiritual measures to press home their demands.
The communiqué issued after the emergency meeting held in Ilorin partly reads: “On the issue of minimum wage committee meeting, the labour representatives at the committee rejected the table by the government in totality and wish to inform the workers that its meeting ended in deadlock.
“The meeting resolved that the state government should be given 14-days ultimatum starting from 31st January, 2020 for home to intervene and resolve all issues related to minimum wage.
“The labour movement in Kwara State wishes to debunk the submission of the commissioner of Finance on Sobi Fm that the committee has concluded on the table for the new minimum wage in Kwara State.
“Workers in the state are implored to go on 3- days fasting and prayers for their demands on the minimum wage to be achieved starting on Wednesday 5th-7th February 2020. In view of the above therefore, the labour movement should not be held responsible for any industrial action that may be deployed to press home our demands.”
But, in a swift response to the workers’ threat, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq declared that he could not go borrowing because of workers and salaries’ increment as the expenses that would be made on N30,000 minimum wage payment would gulp about 85% of the total earnings of the state, explaining that State government could not pay such a huge amount.
The governor, who spoke through a press release issued in Ilorin, the state capital on Wednesday by Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary, said, “We have made suggestions on the consequential adjustments as they affect the other cadres.
“Our initial proposal to the labour, which they have rejected, means that Kwara will now spend 85% of its allocation on public sector workers alone, up from the current 75%, while well over 3.450 million Kwarans, will struggle with the remaining 15% percent. This is very scary and hardly sustainable if we want to develop.”
