By Hammed Shittu
The organised labour in Kwara State yesterday declared an indefinite strike to press home their agitation for the state government to sign and implement the N30,000 minimum wage for workers in the state.
A negotiation meeting between the government and representatives of the organised labour held last Thursday had ended in deadlock with the two parties not agreeing on the consequential adjustment table which the labour and government team had presented back and forth since the pre-COVID-19 period.
Rising from an emergency state executive council (SEC) meeting held at the labour house in Ilorin yesterday, the organised labour, comprising Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC-TUS) held at the Labour House, resolved to embark on an indefinite strike.
The emergency SEC meeting was jointly addressed by the state Chairmen of the NLC, TUC and JNC-TUS, Aliyu Issa Ore, Ezekiel A. Adegoke and Saliu O. Suleiman respectively.
The organised labour had issued a 14-day ultimatum to the state government to sign and implement the N30,000 minimum wage which expired Monday (yesterday).
Following the expiration of the ultimatum, the organised labour yesterday resolved to embark on an indefinite strike beginning from Midnight of October 13.
In the meantime, a pan-northern Nigeria group, Gamji Members Association of Kwara State (GAMA), has cautioned the organised labour in Kwara State against embarking on the strike.
The group, whose members embrace the ideals of the late Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of northern region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, said: “While it understands the plights of workers in the state, especially the rising cost of living, the fact that the government of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazak has demonstrated good faith and commitment to the welfare of workers in the state is not lost on all patriotic Kwarans.
“The government, whatever its imperfections are, has shown good faith in handling workers’ welfare social investments and infrastructural development, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it never stopped paying or workers’ salaries like a few states did.”
