Kebbi NLC renews demand for implementation of new minimum wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kebbi State has renewed its demand for the implementation of the new minimum wage by the State Government.

The state Chairman of NLC, Malam Umar Alhassan, made the appeal in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Birinin Kebbi.

Alhassan said the delay ir non-implementation of the minimum wage was causing agitation and low productivity by workers in the state.

He however assured members that his leadership was posed to bring progress to the civil service and development of the state, as against being a robber stamp to any government.

According to him, the union is maintaining the status quo going by the agreement reached with the state government, adding that breach or failure from the government will force the union to embark on strike.

“We still have to write a reminder to the Head of Service that the government failed to honour their agreement by promising to pay the leave grant to junior staff and bring out a salary table for new minimum wage,” the labour leader said.

Meanwhile, Malam Isa Umar, the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), has exonerated the national leadership of the union over Kebbi state government for failing to implement the N30,000 National Minimum Wage.

It could be recalled that there were speculations accusing the NUT National President, Malam Nasiru Idris, as being responsible for the failure of Kebbi State Government to implement the minimum wage as well as payment of 2019 annual leave grants.

Umar told NAN in Birnin Kebbi that their national president has no knowledge about the negotiations between the state government and the NLC.

The chairman, therefore, appealed to the general public, especially the state civil servants, to disregard the rumour, describing it as a “blatant lie and a mere attempt to tarnish the image of the national president”.

“However, it is pertinent to state that the national president is not even in the country; he has travelled to the UK for an official assignment and has no hand in the issue.

“You see, he told the State NLC Chairman that nobody should mention his name in any matter involving Kebbi State Government and people should not drag him into the state government affairs.

“Nasiru did not know anything about the matter, the negotiations is purely for the NLC and they should face their responsibility without dragging our president into the matter,” he said.

Umar also advised the people of the state to always verify any piece of information before they spreading it or risk fake news sanctions.

He said dialogue and amicable resolution of issues remained the best option in resolving industrial disharmony.