Kwara NLC To Endorse Salaries Before Payment

[TGD]

 ... Obi Agrees To Pay

THE Kwara State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given condition for allowing the payment of salary to its members: it must endorse the table of payment of the minimum wage being proposed by the state government.

This just as Anambra State Governor Peter Obi yesterday restated the resolve to pay the minimum wage.

The Head of Service (HOS), Alhaji Mohammad Dabarako, on Tuesday said the state government would begin the payment of the minimum wage to workers in the state by August 25, with a table of payment for different categories of workers.

But at a workshop organised by the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria in Ilorin on Thursday, the state NLC Chairman, Umar Faurok Akanbi, said labour appreciated the willingness of the state government to pay the new wage but would not accept anything that is not in the interest of workers.

He said Labour had not endorsed any table for payment of the minimum wage and therefore could not say the percentage of salary increase that would be given to workers.

"To those who are saying we've signed an agreement with the government, there's nothing like that. I want to assure all workers to that effect. When politicians are appropriating their money, we do not have the kind of problem, confrontation or kind of issues arising from minimum wage. On our part, we will do the best we can to get what is due to us," he said.

The Director-General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Ilorin, Prof. John Olanrewaju, praised the organisers of the workshop with the theme "Trade union education and capacity building on informal sector organizing." He said informal sector is the most veritable segment of creating employment in the country.

He also commended the textile union for identifying with professionals in the tailoring sector and providing education and capacity building for them, adding that educated workers would surely improve productivity.

Obi, gave this indication in an address to the 6th Zonal Delegates election of the Radio, Television and Theatre Workers Union (RATTAWU) holding in Awka.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Chief Maja Umeh, also frowned at what it viewed as an act of sabotage and incitement by the management of the state-owned television/radio station, Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) against the Obi administration through a unilateral decision to cut the salary of its workers and that of the pensioners.

He stated that the administration is very committed to the welfare of the citizens, including the workers.

He said the issue of the new minimum wage is law, but that the economic fortunes of the state need to change commensurately.

Also, the state chapter of RATTAWU has denied being part of a recent news publication in the state that accused the state government of being behind the action of the ABS management.



The Guardian