The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Kano State branch, have given the Governor Of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, a two weeks ultimatum to reconsider slashing down of workers salary or they embark on strike.This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of an emergency joint meeting of the NLC, PSN, TUC, JPSNC, JOHESU, AMLSN, NSP, NANNM, MHWUN, ARN, EHOAN,ULC,NACHPN in Kano on Wednesday.
They called for a stop to the illegal and illogical cut down of workers salaries for the month of May 2020 in addition to a demand for clear incentives and policy on life insurance to cover workers of all categories who are at the frontline management of the Covid-19 patients in the state and full implementation of the signed agreement between Government and Labour side (JNC) reached in December 2019 on consequential adjustments rising from the implementation of N30,000:00 minimum wage among more others Healthforbes Media reporting.
The State Chairman, Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir while addressing newsmen in the state said, “The Leadership of organized labour in the state comprising NLC, TUC, JPSNC, ULC, JOHESU, AMLSN, NSP, NANNM, PSN, MHWUN, ARN, EHOAN, NACHPN, and their affiliates met and deliberated extensively on the recent deductions of May -2020 workers salaries across all Cadre of workers from State, Local Government, Judiciary, Tertiary Institutions, and Subeb among others and other issues affecting workers welfare in the state civil service amidst the COVID – 19 Pandemic.
The meeting observes the following as workers grievances, that convention 95 of the International Labour Organization (ILO) which Nigeria is a signatory under the protection of wages convention, 1949 (No.95) provides, “deductions from wages shall be permitted only under conditions and to the extent prescribed by national laws or regulations or fixed by collective agreement or arbitration award”. Also, the same Article 8(2) provides that ”Workers shall be informed, in the manner deemed most appropriate by the competent authority, of the conditions under which and the extent to which such deductions may be made”. Nigeria Labour Act, 1974 part 1 – protection of wages No.5 – Deductions (including deductions for over-payment of wages) subsection (1) provides “Except where it is expressly permitted by this Act or any other law no employer shall make any deduction or contract with a worker, or for any payment to the employer by the worker, for or in respect of any fines: provided that, with the prior consent in writing of an authorized labour officer, a reasonable deduction may be made in respect of injury or loss caused to the employer by the willful misconduct or neglect of the worker” therefore, the month of May 2020 deductions of workers salaries by Kano State Government without the consent of the Labour Side is Illegal.
“The Kano State Government violated the existing minimum wage law 2019 which is a product of tripartite committee entered into agreement sent to the legislature by the executive body and signed by Mr. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We demand to stop the illegal and illogical deductions of workers’ salaries for the month of May 2020.
By Dung Donald Malou