Implementation of 30,000 minimum wage: NLC gives Bauchi govt 21 days ultimatum

Though Bauchi State government has agreed to pay the sum of N30,000 as the minimum wage, it has not commenced implementation a development that forced the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to issue a 21 days ultimatum within which to resume negotiations and subsequently implement the new minimum wage in the state.

The ultimatum was given by NLC on Friday through its Chairman, Comrade, Danjuma Kirfi while Speaking to journalists as part of resolutions reached at the end of the joint state executive council meeting.

According to him, after a far-reaching deliberation and decision on the non-conclusion of negotiations of the adjustment of the new national minimum wage in the state, the Union resolved that if nothing was done at the end of the ultimatum, the Congress will be left with no option than to embark on industrial action.

Danjuma Kirfi said: “Members view the absence of the commitment on the part of government representatives towards the resolutions and the subsequent implementation of the new national minimum wage in the state” .

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He added that “The Organized Labour calls on the government to restore negotiations without further delay. That failure to conclude negotiations within the shortest period of time, the leadership will not guarantee the industrial atmosphere in the state”.

The NLC Chairman further said that “That government is hereby given 21 days ultimatum within which to conclude negotiations and implementation of the new national minimum wage in the state.”

Danjuma Kirfi, however, explained that although the state government had started paying workers the minimum wage from grade levels 01 to 06 whose salary is not up to N30,000, “our bone of contention is the consequential adjustment, that is the increment of officers from grade levels 07 to 14. That is what remains undone and that is what we are agitating for.”

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The Union leader also said that although there is a shortfall in government revenue from the Federation Account as it is in other states, and as Bauchi indigenes, they are very much compassionate about it, saying however, that it cannot stop them as workers from pursuing their rights.

He then called on the state government to be more proactive in sourcing for money from other sources in order to complement its revenue from the federation account so that workers can be paid their minimum wage.

He said that, “Bauchi state cannot be an exception, that drop might have affected so many states but there are other neighbouring states like Jigawa, Kano and others that have already reached and signed an agreement, that is what we want”.

He advised that “Our workers are very much concerned and very much willing that such increase is done to them that is why we are agitating for that. The government should get money from other sources and complement that payment,”.

Danjuma Kirfi then called on all workers in the state to remain calm assuring them that the NLC leadership is struggling for their rights and is working to resolve the matter once and for all.

It will be recalled that towards the end of the year 2019, the state government after series of negotiations with the organized labour agreed to pay N30,000 as the new minimum wage and has started its implementation in January but other categories of workers, levels 07-14 are yet to benefit because negotiation on the adjustment has not been concluded.