Strike: Nasarawa Govt insists on ‘no work no pay’

The Nasarawa State government says it would strictly use the attendance registers from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to pay salaries effective from June.

Alh. Musa Dangana, Executive Chairman, Nasarawa State Civil Service Commission read the resolutions at the end of an emergency Expanded State Executive Council meeting on Friday in Lafia.

He said that council resolved that Permanent Secretaries (PS) and heads of other (MDAs) should submit their attendance register to the Head of Service for preparation of payment vouchers for June salaries.

“The government maintains its stand on the No-Work-No-Pay order.

“Accordingly, salaries for the month of June, 2021 and henceforth shall be paid based on the attendance registers,” he said.

He therefore, enjoined willing workers to resume duties immediately to enable them get their salaries.

He pointed out that government would on no account, borrow money to pay salaries in views of its negative impact, adding that doing so would further burden the state’s economy and mortgage the future of the state.

He said that council noted with dismay the continuous picketing of offices and harassment of workers from gaining access to their offices as well as the removal of attendance registers in MDAs by labour leaders.

He said that labour wanted government to use available resources to implement promotions and pay their salaries only rather than executing viable projects that would benefit everybody.

Dangana explained that government would ensure that essential services, such as health and water supply were rendered to the citizenry and that any form of interference would be dealt-with appropriately.

He also said that security agencies have been enjoined to continue to protect and safeguard all government establishments in the State.

Dangana, however, said that as demonstration of goodwill and quest for harmonious government-Labour relations for the benefit of the people, the administration’s doors are open for continuous negotiations with the union.

It was reported that the organised labour in the state had embarked on an indefinite strike on June 15 to press home demands for better welfare for its members.

Some of the grievances of the union include partial implementation of the new national minimum wage without recourse to due process of collective bargaining, lack of implementation of promotions since 2008 and annual increment.

Others are lack of training, non confirmation of appointments of casual workers some of which have worked for more than 10 years among others.