The Federal Government has been asked to ignore the excuses by the State Governors on the ongoing processes for new minimum wages for workers in the country.
The National President of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Commade Ibrahim Khaleel made the call at a meeting of the Northern Executive Council of the Union in Kaduna, Northwest of the country.
Comrade Khaleel, who is also the National Treasurer of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, dismissed the recent statement credited to the Chairman of the Governors Forum, Alhaji Abdulhafeez Yari, that the Governors are not elected to pay salaries alone, adding that the excuse is not only flimsy but it is also ridiculous and unacceptable.
He argued that the top priority of any responsible Government is to ensure the welfare of its workers by ensuring payment of salaries and other dues as and when due lamenting that the attitude of some State Governors, who have refused to pay salaries for months, could dent the integrity of the present administration.
Comrade Ibrahim said NULGE is in full support of the two weeks ultimatum given to the Federal Government by the organised labours to bring back the negotiation for, a more realistic and befitting new minimum wages for workers, on track.
On the issue of Local Government autonomy, the NULGE President lamented that some State Governors were working to subvert the efforts towards the realisation of a true Local Government autonomy for their selfish interest but assured that NULGE would not relent.
In a speech, the Chairman of the Northern Executive Council of the Union, Comrade Ali Kolo, said the Council would intensify efforts in mobilizing support towards the realisation of the goals of the Union.
Earlier, the actig President of the Kaduna State chapter of the Union, Comrade Rayyanu Isayaku Turunku, expressed gratitude to the National Secretariat of the Union for its support to the chapter.
https://www.africaprimenews.com/2018/09/14/news/minimum-wage-nigeria-describes-workers-14-day-ultimatum-as-blackmail/
