Reasons have emerged why the Zamfara State government delayed the payment of the November salaries of its civil servants, blaming technical settings for the delay in the payment of the N30,000 minimum wage as agreed by the government and the labour leaders in the State.
The reasons were given by the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Sani Halliru, pointing out that technical settings which the state government was not able to address hindered the payment of November salaries.
Comrade Haliru and the State chapter of the Trade Union Congress(TUC) assured the state civil servants that Governor Matawalle’s approval and order for the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage that was supposed to have started in November 2022 was delayed due to some unforeseen circumstances.
Addressing newsmen in Gusau, the State capital, Halliru who spoke on behalf of the two labour bodies said the delay in the payment of November 2022 salaries experienced by the workers was a result of preparations and some technical challenges.
He appealed to the state civil servants to bear the delay in good fate, pointing out that it was for their own socio-economic interest as the labour leaders were very much on the issue.
He stated that the labour forces in the state have ensured smooth implementation of the prolonged struggle for the N30,000 naira minimum wage, stressing that the November salary would be paid as soon as the preparation and technical settings were put in order.
Comrade Haliru, however, did not shed any light on the nature of the alleged technical problem which delayed the payment of the November salary expected by the civil servants last week.
The State NLC leader explained that the Local Government workers would also enjoy the payment of the N30,000 naira minimum wage pending the completion of the ongoing sanitization of payroll and placement of every worker on appropriate grade level by the end of December 2022.
Those present at the occasion include members of the state administration council, vice chairperson 1, Comrade Sa’adu Bala Gwaram; Treasurer, Comrade Shehu Sani Doki; Secretary TUC, Comrade Muhammad Sani k/kwash; TUC Vice Chairman, Comrade Audu Isaiah; Auditor, Comrade Aliyu Gadanga; Chairperson NLC women wing, Comrade Binta Yusuf.
Recall that both the State government and the labour leaders had in September this year signed an agreement that the minimum wage would be implemented at the end of November 2022.
Newspot reports that the labour leaders did not comment on the backlog arrears of the N30,000 minimum wage since April 2019 but assured that it would commence at the end of November 2022.
A civil servant who preferred anonymity said, “I have never thought that the N30,000 minimum wage would be implemented because we do not have vibrant labour forces in the State.”
He said that labour leaders these days are toothless bulldogs that can bark but can not bite, stressing that the issue of N30,000 minimum wage has been a households discussion since 2019 and the so-called labour leaders have been watching without any action while many civil servants have died, others retired without enjoying the minimum wage.
“Even if they succeed in achieving the N30, 000 for the state civil servants, I cannot clap for the labour leaders because it is too late, in many states of the federation workers have been enjoying the minimum wage since 2019”
He advised civil servants in the state to only be prayerful and look unto God to touch the minds of the people at the corridors of power to implement the N30,000 minimum wage rather than listening to the empty propaganda of the labour leaders in the State.
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