From Femi Mustapha and Edirin Robinson, in Kaduna
Activities in Kaduna State Ministries, Departments, and Agencies were brought to a halt on Monday as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) commenced a one-week warning strike over the non-implementation of the new minimum wage’s consequential adjustments.
Despite the Kaduna State Government’s claim of compliance with the minimum wage law by paying a minimum gross salary of N72,000, the organized labour insisted that the government had failed to implement the agreed consequential adjustments.
The Kaduna State NLC Chairman, Comrade Ayuba Magaji Suleiman, said on Sunday that the strike was in line with directives from the national leadership of the NLC and TUC.
In response, Governor Uba Sani’s Chief Press Secretary, Malam Ibraheem Musa, defended the government’s position, stating that the least-paid worker received N72,000 in November.
He said that the issue was related to salary adjustments, not the minimum wage itself. He urged patience, citing the state’s limited revenue, which comprises an average monthly allocation of N8 billion from the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and N4 billion in internally generated revenue.
However, Suleiman dismissed the government’s position, reiterating that the failure to implement the adjustments was unacceptable. “We met with the government on Saturday, but no agreement was reached,” he said.
The TUC Kaduna State Council also criticized the government’s unilateral implementation of the new wage. Its Chairman, Comrade Abdullahi A. Danfulani, described the move as contrary to collective bargaining principles.
Meanwhile, checks around the Kaduna metropolis revealed that state ministries and the secretariat were locked, preventing workers from accessing their offices. In contrast, banks and other private institutions continued operations.
A civil servant who requested anonymity reported that the salary increase was minimal, with increments ranging from N4,000 to N5,000. He urged the government to fully implement the new wage, stressing the difficulties workers face in meeting basic needs amid the current economic situation.
