The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Bauchi state chapter has issued a 21 day ultimatum to the Bauchi state government within which to resume negotiations and subsequently ensure the full implementation of the N30,000 national minimum wage in the state or face total shutdown of government.
The Chairman of the NLC in the state, Comrade Danjuma Kirfi while giving the ultimatum at a press conference on Friday said it was part of resolutions reached at the end of the joint state executive council meeting of the union.
“After a far reaching decision and deliberation on the non-conclusion of negotiations of the adjustment of the new national minimum wage in the state, we as a union resolved that if nothing is done after the ultimatum, we are going to embark on an industrial action”. Comrade Kirfi disclosed.
“Members view 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”, he added.
Danjuma Kirfi who called on the Bauchi state government to restore negotiations without further delay, maintained that failure to conclude negotiations within the shortest period of time will not enable leadership of the union guarantee the industrial atmosphere in the state.
“Government is hereby given 21 days ultimatum within which to conclude negotiations and implementation of the new national minimum wage in the state”, he declared.
According to Kirfi, 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, the union’s 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”,he explained.
Kirfi who said that NLC is mindful of the shortfall in government revenue from the federation account like other states, noted that as Bauchi indigenes, they are very much compassionate about it.
He however, said that that cannot stop them as workers from pursuing their rights, as it is the duty of the executive to source for funds that can meet its obligations.
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 wages.
“Bauchi state cannot be an exception, shortfall from the federal allocation might have affected so many states but there are other neighboring states like Jigawa, Kano and others that have already reached and signed 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 the Organized Labour Unions in the state had earlier issued a statement expressing its disagreement on the government’s refusal to consider workers above level 7 in the state.
A statement by the State Chairman, Joint Public Service Negotiation Council (JPSNC), Comrade Abdullahi Ibrahim says labour unions in the state could not resolve pending issues on consequential adjustment.
The statement said both the government and the organized labor have not resolved their differences on the matter.
According to the statement, the bone of contention was on the consequential adjustment of the salaries of officers on Grade Levels 7 and above, saying government offers did not meet expectations of labour.
The organized labour had in its last meeting vowed not to compromise its stand on the consequential adjustment.
