The Kano State Joint Action Committee of the organised labour has issued a two weeks ultimatum to the State Government to stop deduction on workers’ salaries or face strike.
Mr Kabiru Ado, the state’s Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), stated this at a joint news conference, on Wednesday in Kano.
Ado said that the organised labour had deliberated over recent slashing of worker’s salaries and other topical issues affecting their welfare in the state amid COVID-19 pandemic.
He said that the unions decided to reject the slashing of workers’ salaries and called on the government to stop the action or face industrial action.
The chairman said that the government had slashed May workers’ salaries, without due consultations with the labour unions, in violation of labour laws and constitutional provisions.
Ado explained that convention 95 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) stipulated that deduction from wages should be permitted only under conditions prescribed by law under collective agreement.
He noted that the slashing of the workers’ salaries by the government also contravened provisions of Nigeria Labour Act 1974 and National Minimum Wage law.
“The deduction of workers’ salaries for the month of May 2020, by the state government without the consent of the labour is illegal.
“Kano state government violated the existing minimum wage law 2019, which is a product of the tripartite committee entered agreement sent to the legislature and signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The state government renege its promise for the payment of April – November, 2019; arrears to workers sequel to the implementation of the consequential arrangement arising from the N30, 000 minimum wage,” he said.