Traders, residents appeal to Nasarawa govt over salary cut

Some traders and residents of Keffi, in Nasarawa State, have appealed to the state government to reconsider its decision to cut salaries of workers in order to ensure industrial peace.

They made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Keffi.

NAN recalled that on July 4, 2016, the labour unions in the state went on indefinite strike to protest the downward review of workers’ salaries by 50 per cent.

The respondents said that their appeal became necessary because of the prevailing economic hardship, adding that pay-cut would worsen conditions of workers.

A petty trader, Mrs Sarah Oboh, said that the state government’s action would weaken the purchasing power of civil servants.

“Our problem is that the strike by workers has been affecting our businesses negatively,” she said.

Another trader, Mr Ibrahim Sule, said the government’s action needed to be reviewed in order to enhance the socio-economic development of the state.