News

Why we shelve strike over minimum wage – Kwara NLC

…set to sign agreement with govt on level 1-6 payment

By Mike Adeyemi
The Nigerian Labour Congress, Kwara State chapter, has disclosed that contrary to the belief that the union has been hoodwinked by the government over the nonpayment of the new minimum wage the state NLC chairman, Aliyu Issa Ore stated on Saturday, while answering questions from our reporter through telephone call said that the NLC has been incapacitated as a result of the case in court.
According to the labour leader, ‘it is erroneous for people to assume that the leadership of the union have been bought by the government over the issue of the minimum wage.’
“The truth of the matter is that Kwara State Government had dragged NLC before the Court of law hence our activities are barred until the outcome of the case.
“If we were being bought as it was circulated, we would have signed the table presented to us. But for us to have refused, it shows we are firmly on our stand,” Ore said.
He added that the union, though have not agreed with government on level 7 and above, in a couple of days we will be going into agreement with the Kwara State Government over the commencement of payment to workers on level 1-6.
“We are about to sign levels 1-6 which they have been paying that we had refused on the basis that there was no formal agreement on it. The payment has some adjustments and in few days we will sign that.
“We are yet to agree on level 7 and above. We are in constant meetings with the government on the issue.
“They took us to Industrial Court over this minimum wage. Whether we sign or not, government has been paying those on level 1-6 and workers have not refused it, though there was no agreement to that effect, the NLC boss said.
Reacting to whether there is uniformity in the already payment of minimum wage to the lower cadres, Ore said there is no any state that follows the percentage.
“States were asked to negotiate based on their IGR alongside other variables. I don’t think there is any state that follows the percentage. We cannot go on strike until we are out of the Court, he stressed.

Show More

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button