By Mumini AbdulKareem
Condemnations have continued to trail the action of the Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to drag the labour unions in the state to court over the issue of the payment of the new minimum wage.
The Governor action is coming on the heels of failure of the unions and government to reach a truce over the matter after several failed meetings leading to the recent industrial action in the state.
But labour leaders in the state on Sunday including past leaders condemned the action of the government describing it as a ploy to jettison the payment of the new minimum wage which has been approved by no fewer than 30 states in the country.
According to the Acting chairman of the Kwara State chapter of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Joseph Tunde, the action of the governor only shows insincerity on his part to fully implement the new wage.
He confirmed that the case has been adjourned to next year January after it came up for hearing on Thursday.
โThe case came up last week Thursday and it has been adjourned to 14th of January, 2020. But we’re not seeing the sincerity of the government in the whole thing because if they’re sincere, no need of dragging the unions to court. The people we’re talking about are the Kwara workers.
โWhy should you take your people to court when you’re suppose to sit with them and discuss, the same people that voted for you and were promised to be taken care ofโ, he added.
For his part, the chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Kwara State branch, comrade Olu Adewara told this medium that โWhat the government is trying to achieve is an attempt to stop the agitation in the state.
โUsing the local government narrative and argument is a defensive point they’re trying to make as the reason why they couldn’t implement the minimum wage that they could not guarantee the possibility of local government being able to pay.
โBut that should not be their problem, if the members of the local government claimed that they could pay, it why should they be crying louder than the bereaved. The agitation is never a forgotten issue, we’ll surely achieve our aimโ, Adewara noted.
A former chairman of the NLC in Kwara State, Comrade Farouk Akanbi faulted the government approach to head to court adding that โCertainly this is not the best way to go about it.
โThe government that is seeking industrial harmony and actually willing to negotiate and do the right thing for workers, this it is not the best way to go. Its like the government is probating and reprobating.
โIf the government is saying it is ready to pay the minimum wage then the issue of the National Industrial Court does not arise again if government is sincere in it negotiation with the labour leaders. There is no need for the government to go to court and prevent the union from resuming their suspended strike in case there is a break in the negotiation.
โI think what government should try to do is to emphasize under their negotiation the principle of compromise and whatever is available, let the labour leaders see it sincerely, let them know the number of staff on ground, let the labour leaders know the wage bill and then they will be able to juxtapose the wage bill with the staff strength and the available resources.
โAnd by the time they’re able to do that, the labour and government will end up being on the same page because for the two of them, the interest of the state is what should be paramount.
I want to enjoin the government not to jeopardize the industrial peace that is already existing in the state, let them come to the table with open hands, let the labour see the reality of what is on ground, of what is availableโ, he submitted.
The State AG and Commissioner for Justice, Salman Jawondo giving reason why the government went to court told National Pilot last week that:
โWhat we what to call for with that action is a profound issue of law and a constitutional one for that matter. You see, one of the main issues of the minimum wage is whether the state government can sign for and bind the local government to pay the minimum wage. When the minimum wage bill was passed and became law, the federal government negotiated with its own workers and said the state and local government should do same with their workers and so now the negotiation is on. But the position of the government is that we cannot sign or negotiate on behalf of the local government because it is a separate tier of government.
