Kano State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC has expressed determination to embark on strike action if the State government does not stop further deduction of workers and pensioners salaries.
Chairman of the Chapter, Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir stated this during a media briefing organized by the NLC, TUC and Joint negotiating Council in kano.
”The state government in an earlier press release said that the deductions made in November and December, 2020 was meant to keep governance going due to fall in Federal allocations and Internally Generated Revenue ocassioned by the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the decision is to prevent issues of half salary, batch payment or lay off of workers”.
“Should there be any further deduction, reversal or any foul play on salary or pension under whatever excuse, the labour unions would be left with no alternative than to take appropriate legal and or industrial action to seek for redress.” he said
Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir who said the state government should promptly payback the two months so far deducted, noted that it was uncalled for at a time when Lagos State Government was giving 30 percent salary bonus to it’s workers.
According to him, Katsina, Zamfara and Borno states where crisis is being experienced are not also tempering with workers salaries but Kano State.
The NLC Chairman urged workers to remain at alert for further directives, while assuring them of the Union’s commitment at all times.
He however, debunked the publicized story on Kano State Government’s reversal of the N30,600 minimum wage to N18,000 calling it a Malicious and ill-motivated publication.
Comrade Minjibir reminded Kano State Government that the Minimum wage was a product of tripartite negotiation and cannot under whatever circumstances be subjected to unilateral review.
Abdullahi jalaluddeen/Kano