The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Bauchi state chapter hasissued a 21 day ultimatum to the Bauchi state government within which to resume
negotiations and subsequently ensure the full implementation of the N30,000national minimum wage in the state or face total shutdown of government.The Chairman of the NLC in the state, Comrade Danjuma Kirfiwhile giving the ultimatum at a press conference on Friday said it was part ofresolutions reached at the end of the joint state executive council meeting ofthe union.
“After a far reaching decision and deliberation on thenon-conclusion of negotiations of the adjustment of the new national minimumwage in the state, we as a union resolved that if nothing is done after theultimatum, we are going to embark on an industrial action”. Comrade Kirfidisclosed.
“Members view absence of the commitment on the part ofgovernment representatives towards the resolutions and the subsequentimplementation of the new national minimum wage in the state”, he added.
Danjuma Kirfi who called on the Bauchi state government torestore negotiations without further delay, maintained that failure to concludenegotiations within the shortest period of time will not enable leadership ofthe union guarantee the industrial atmosphere in the state.
“Government is hereby given 21 days ultimatum withinwhich to conclude negotiations and implementation of the new national minimumwage in the state”, he declared.
According to Kirfi, although the state government hadstarted paying workers the minimum wage from grade levels 01 to 06 whose salaryis not up to N30,000, the union’s bone of contention is the consequentialadjustment.
“That is the increment of officers from grade levels 07to 14. That is what remains undone and that is what we are agitatingfor”,he explained.
Kirfi who said that NLC is mindful of the shortfall ingovernment revenue from the federation account like other states, noted that asBauchi indigenes, they are very much compassionate about it.
He however, said that that cannot stop them as workers frompursuing their rights, as it is the duty of the executive to source for fundsthat can meet its obligations.
He called on the state government to be more proactive insourcing for money to complement its revenue from the federation account sothat workers can be paid their minimum wages.
“Bauchi state cannot be an exception, shortfall fromthe federal allocation might have affected so many states but there are otherneighboring states like Jigawa, Kano and others that have already reached andsigned an agreement, that is what we want”, he maintained.
“Government should device ways of sourcing funds from other sources and ensure full implementation of the national minimum wage in our state”, he insisted.
WikkiTimes recalls that theOrganized Labour Unions in the state had earlier issued a statement expressing its disagreement onthe government’s refusal to consider workers above level 7 in the state.
A statement by the State Chairman, Joint Public ServiceNegotiation Council (JPSNC), Comrade Abdullahi Ibrahim says labour unions inthe state could not resolve pending issues on consequential adjustment.
The statement said both the government and the organizedlabor have not resolved their differences on the matter.
According to the statement, the bone of contention was onthe consequential adjustment of the salaries of officers on Grade Levels 7 andabove, saying government offers did not meet expectations of labour.
The organized labour had in its last meeting vowed not to compromise its stand on theconsequential adjustment.
