Niger reduces public workers salary by 30%

In fulfillment of the agreement reached with the organized labour, Niger State government has paid the 30 per cent slashed from the June salary of all the public and civil servants in the state. Ibrahim Balarabe, the state Commissioner for Finance, disclosed that government effected the payment of the slashed salary on Monday in keeping faith with the agreement reached with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC). Balarabe noted that government decision to slash salary of workers in June was a bitter pill for government to swallow but maintained that the action was taken in the best interest of the state following the sharp fall in the revenue of the state that forced the state to resort to over draft to augment workers’ salary.

“Since January this year, government had to secure overdraft to augment workers’ salary and by June the state has incurred N3 billion loans, a development that was inimical to the growth of the state.

“Government realized that by the end of the year, the state would have incurred over N10 billion to augment salary alone while developmental activities will grounded” he explained.

This, the Commissioner said made government to propose a formula of 70/30 percent of the monthly allocation for payment of salary and execution of capital project. This led to an industrial action by the workers despite repeated assurances by government that the deducted money will be paid as soon as the economy improves.

“Today in fulfillment of the agreement with organized labour, government has redeemed it is part of the deal. The deducted 30 percent is now being paid.

“We assured workers that the 30 percent shortfall will be paid.  Government has no intention of denying workers their legitimate earnings. We told them the deduction was a temporary measure in view of our financial situation and in today have paid,” the Commissioner stated.

Balarabe then enjoined the work force to reciprocate the good gesture of the state government by being committed to their work, bearing in mind that the civil service is the engine room of government activities.