Minimum Wage: Organised labour threatens strike in Bauchi

The organised labour in Bauchi has issued a 21-day ultimatum to embark on industrial action if negotiations fail to resume on implementation of the National Minimum Wage.

Mr Danjuma Kirfi, State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), stated this at a press conference on Friday in Bauchi.

Kirfi said the 21-day ultimatum was part of resolutions reached at the end of the joint State Executive Council (SEC) meeting of the organised labour.

He lamented that non-conclusion of negotiations on the new minimum wage became worrisome to the workers in the state.

Kirfi said: “The union resolved that if nothing is done after the ultimatum, members would embark on industrial action.

“That government is hereby given 21-day ultimatum within which to conclude negotiations and begin implementation of the new national minimum wage in the state.

“The organized labour is now calling on the government to restore negotiations without further delay”.

According to him, there is absence of commitment on the part of government’s representatives towards effective implementation of the new minimum wage in the state.

The chairman pointed out that the state government had implemented the new minimum wage on Grade Levels (GLs) 01 to 06.

“The main issue, however is consequential adjustment, that is the increment of officers from GLs 07 to 14,” he said.

Kirfi urged the state government to look into the issue of suspended local government staff for immediate action.

He also called on workers in the state to remain calm assuring that the NLC leadership was working to resolve the matter in earnest.