19th April, 2012
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned that it would resist any attempt by Kebbi State Government to withdraw the full payment of the N18,000-minimum wage that was earlier approved.
The state NLC Chairman, Mr Sadiq Kaoje, gave the warning, while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday.
He said that the chairmen and secretaries of all the labour unions in the state met and demanded the immediate restoration of the payment of the minimum wage.
Besides, Kaoje said that the NLC was pressing for a change of the schedule of officers in the Ministry of Finance who were responsible for the anomalies which occurred in the payment of March salaries.
He said that the Congress was also requesting the return of all “collapsed allowances” in the March salaries and the payment of 27.5 per cent and 12.5 per cent increase in the salaries of professional and non-professional teachers respectively.
“The circular on the payment to teachers was still valid and the allowances removed from the salary of workers in RATTAWU, NUJ, fire service, information and urban development agency should be restored.
“We also demand the immediate payment of annual increment that had been denied workers in the past three years, as such payments are not negotiable,” he said.
Kaoje said that the NLC was also demanding the payment of the new minimum wage to local government workers, as well as the payment of the 12.5 per cent and 15 per cent increase in pensions to pensioners.
“Our demands were made in the belief that workers are the machinery of government that deserve priority attention; we also believe that the state has enough funds to pay what we are demanding and execute other projects,” he added.