The leadership of Joint State Public Service Negotiating Council
(TUS), in Kwara State, yesterday, disclosed that it has forwarded a
letter to the State Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq on the
need to initiate process for the implementation of N30,000 minimum
wage.
This followed the receipt of a letter to the effect from the national
body of the organised labour consisting, Joint Negotiating Council
(JNC), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Rising from its meeting of the state’ s chapter of TUS held at the
labour house, Ilorin, the union also declared that it will “present
the circular on the consequential adjustment of the new national
minimum wage to the Governor for implementation as soon as the
circular is released”.
A statement issued by the Chairman and Secretary of the Council in the
state. Comrade Saliu Suleiman and Comrade Tunde Joseph respectively
said the meeting deliberated extensively on issues relating to
workers’ welfare.
The statement added that the meeting deliberated extensively on “the
national minimum wage and the letter from the national headquarters on
the consequential adjustment as agreed by organized labour which had
just been forwarded to? the governor of Kwara State for negotiations
to commenced without further delay”.
The union appealed to the State Government to see the request as a
call to better the plight of Kwara workers.
It will be recalled that the joint leadership of the organised labour
in the state had on Tuesday asked the state House of Assembly to
support the cause of workers in the state on the implementation of the
consequential adjustment of new national minimum wage.
The Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state, Kola Olumoh,
made the appeal on Tuesday when the state Joint Labour Council paid a
courtesy call on the Speaker, Hon Yakubu-Salihu Danladi at the
Assembly complex.
According to Olumoh, the support of the Assembly has become imperative
since it is an important organ of the government in any democratic
setting.
He reminded the Speaker that some state governments had expressed
readiness to begin the implementation of the new wage in November and
urged him to assist in quickening the implementation in Kwara State.
The TUC chairman lamented that what workers in the state were
currently receiving monthly could not take them anywhere following the
increase in the prices of essential commodities.
Olumoh urged the House to increase and monitor the annual budgetary
allocations to ministries and agencies in the state, as a way of
ensuring proper accountability.
The state NLC Chairman, Issa Aliyu Ore, who was represented by the
Vice Chairman, Mallam Salihu Yusuf, congratulated the lawmakers for
their victory at the poll.
Th Speaker in his remarks, described the 9th Assembly as a new
generation that would be labour friendly.
