Kwara govt insists state already paying minimum wage
…state yet to implement new salary, govt not sincere – Labour
The Kwara State Government says it has already commenced the payment of the new minimum wage to civil servants in the state.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye said this while responding to claims by Mr. Bayo Onanuga, in his opinion article titled ‘Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s courage’ and published in the Premium Times of May 19, 2021, where he said Kwara has refused to pay the minimum wage.
Ajakaye reiterated that no government worker in Kwara State earns below N30,000 national minimum wage, adding that the state has met the irreducible minimum of the National Minimum Wage Act.
His statement read partly, “We however agree with Mr. Onanuga that the debate over the national minimum wage and issues related thereto must be embraced with open mind, devoid of politics, harassment or name-calling, and in full appreciation of issues of development and infrastructural deficits confronting our country. This is especially true of the local government administration in the country. Reform of the current system is inevitable and urgent, and the earlier all of us accept this reality the better for everyone, including the average citizens, who, apart from their right to earn decent salaries, also desire improvement in basic infrastructures and other services government exists to provide.”
We rejected Kwara govt’s proposal to add N2,000 to salaries of workers above level 7’ – Labour
The state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress had revealed that it rejected the state government proposal to add N2,000 to the salaries of workers from Grade level 7 to 17 as consequential arrangement for the new minimum wage, accusing Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of insincerity over the welfare of the state working force.
The NLC in a statement released earlier this week entitled, “A Rejoinder to your Excellency statement to the Emir of Ilorin during his visit to your Excellency at the Government House, Ilorin to mark the end of Ramadan” signed by the state Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Issa Ore, on Monday, said that it would not accept any table on the minimum wage brought by the government that was not accepted by the Labour Unions in the state.
The labour also dismissed insinuations by the governor that it is being sponsored by the opposition party said that such statement did not come to it as a surprise adding that its members have heard it several times and on different occasions.
“We want Your Excellency to be clear about the Labour Movement in the State.
“The Labour Movement is not a political party. We are a pressure organization that is responsible for the welfare of the generality of Workers (both in the Public and Private Sector) as well as the mouthpiece of the masses across the country,” it explained.
“We are for all political parties irrespective of the number of the parties in the State.
“We cannot, therefore, shy away from our responsibility to the people because of a party in the position of power. We must be faithful to all and sundry,” the statement said.
“Your Excellency will recall that at different times during the negotiation, your negotiators presented four different tables to Labour which after we reluctantly agreed in the interest of peace and to convince you of our resolve to ensure Kwara is lifted and are withdrawn by your committee, only to present another one at the next meeting.
“The presentation of resolve of State Government to add mere N2,000.00 consequential adjustment from Grade level 7-17 is vehemently rejected by workers negotiators,” the statement added.
The Kwara NLC alleged that throughout the federation, it is only the Kwara State Government that took labour to court over the issue of N30, 000 00 Minimum Wage.
This according to the Labour Movement does not bother them because they are seeing diverse happenings regarding the issue of minimum wage across the country.
“We want to say it categorically that labour/workers’ friendly government would not result to court action against its partners in progress but roundtable discussions to resolve all perceived wrongs in the interest of progress.
“We urge Your Excellency to muster the political will to do the needful to the Workers and Pensioners of this state and Local Government as regards the issue of Minimum Wage and put the issue at rest once and for all in the interest of the citizenry,” the NLC pleaded.