Exclusive: Industrial crisis looms in Kano as labour, govt. meeting end in deadlock over salary deduction

The industrial crisis looms in Kano as organized labour presents 11 demands to the State government before salary deduction of workers for the month of March as government insist it cannot pay N30,000 minimum wage over a shortfall in revenue.

Solacebase gathered that a committee constituted by the government and labour to fashion out how the March salary would be paid ended its meeting in deadlock.

The committee on the side of the government is headed by the state Head of Civil Service, Barr. Binta Lawal, Finance Commissioner, Shehu Na’Allah Kura , Local Government Commissioner, Murtala Sule Garo, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. M.A Lawal, Accountant General of the State, ALGON Chairman, Permanent Secretaries and Directors from the Head of Civil Service office.

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While the organized labour is led by NLC Chairman, Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir and other members are TUC Chairman, Comrade Mansur Isa Adamu, JNC Chairman, Hashim Saleh, JOHESU Chairman, Bello N. Saheed, JCF for state-owned tertiary institutions, Kamalu Sulyman, and entire labour leaders.

Speaking with Solacebase in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, the NLC Chairman, Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir said the state government team said they don’t have the mandate to approve the demands hence the meeting held on Monday has to be postponed to Friday.

He said the demand on the side of labour for any deduction to take place from the salary of any worker in the state, include seeing the government book of accounts, the total workforce of public servants (both state and local government), actual total wage bills for state workers (both state and local government), number of political office holders ( both state and local governments)and total wage bill for political office holders( State and local government).

According to him, other demands include, the shortfall of salary payment for March 2021, Nov. and Dec. 2020 and January 2021 state deduction, Nov. and Dec. 2020 and January 2021 state and local government pensions deductions, that refund of deductions from March 2021, salaries should be with a time frame (within 3 months April to June 2021) by Kano State Government and payment of pending 8 months salary arrears and the balance of two months 50% deducted should be paid within 6 months from May-November, 2021 and deduction must cut across all workers including political office holders and all permanent secretaries.

Solacebase gathered that the organized labour on Wednesday held an emergency extended state executive council meeting held over the deadlock of discussion with the state government.

Our reporter was informed that the decision arrived at was that the state government should not pay workers salaries and pension until an agreement is reached over the deduction.

Shortly after the meeting, Kano NLC Chairman, Comrade Kabiru Ado Minjibir told Solacebase that the resolution of the Friday meeting with the state government team will be communicated to the state executive council of labour on Monday where a decision will be taken.

He urged workers to remain calm as the situation is not out of control.