From Beatrice GONDYI, Bauchi
The National Labour Congress (NLC) Bauchi State chapter has given the state government 21 days ultimatum to resume negotiations in order to implement the new N30,000 national minimum wage in the state.
The state Chairman of the (NLC), Com. Danjuma Kirfi disclosed this to journalists on Friday at a Press Conference in Bauchi.
He said this was part of resolutions reached at the end of the joint state executive council meeting.
He said: “Members view the absence of the commitment on the part of government representatives towards the resolutions and the subsequent implementation of the new national minimum wage in the state.
“The Organized Labour calls on the government to restore negotiations without further delay.
“Failure to conclude negotiations within the shortest period of time, the leadership will not guarantee the industrial atmosphere in the state.
“The government is hereby given 21 days ultimatum within which to conclude negotiations and implementation of the new national minimum wage in the state,” Kirfi said.
Kirfi explained that although the state government had started paying workers the minimum wage from grade levels 01 to 06 whose salary is not up to N30,000, “our bone of contention is the consequential adjustment, that is the increment of officers from grade levels 07 to 14. That is what remains undone and that is what we are agitating for.”
The Union leader said that although there is a shortfall in government revenue from the federation account as it is in other states, and as Bauchi indigenes, they are very much compassionate about it, saying, however, that it cannot stop them as workers from pursuing their rights.
He called on the state government to be more proactive in sourcing for money to complement its revenue from the federation account so that workers can be paid their minimum wage.
“Bauchi state cannot be an exception, that drop might have affected so many states but there are other neighbouring states like Jigawa, Kano and others that have already reached and signed an agreement, that is what we want.
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