Gombe State Government has promised to look into the issue of the implementation of the N30,000 minimum for Local Government workers when the need arise as the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) demanded its full implementation.
The State Deputy Governor, Manasseh Daniel Jatau, who represented Governor Inuwa Yahaya at this year’s International Workers Day celebration held at the Pantami Stadium, Gombe stated this.
Shortly after the inauguration of the new leadership of the NLC in the state few months back, new chairman of the union, Yusuf Aish Bello, made the same request when he led the new leadership of the union to the Deputy Governor.
However, during the Workers Day celebration, the Deputy Governor, who chairs the committee for the minimum wage, promised to engage the leadership of the union over the matter just the way he did when the NLC visited him in his office.
The Deputy Governor said, “On the issues of Minimum Wage Committee, the Deputy Governor is the chairman of the committee and will engage the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress in the state when the need arises”.
On the issue of the outstanding gratuity to some retired civil servants, the Deputy Governor said, “the State Government is doing its best”.
While congratulating workers for the celebration of another International Workers Day, the Deputy Governor commended them for the significant roles they played in ensuring government carries out its programmes and policies.
He said “the significance of workers towards success of any government needs no further emphasis, as they carry out responsibilities of ensuring visible manifestation of developments of various government policies and programmes.
“I would like to assure you of our unwavering commitment to provide socio-economic infrastructure to improve the well-being of our people. There is therefore the need for labour to work closely with government to improve living standard of workers and citizens through constructive engagements”, he said.
In his address, the Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Gombe State Chapter, Comrade Yusuf Aish Bello, congratulated the workers and appreciated the understanding existing between the government and workers of the state.
He then appealed to the state saying, “Since the Minimum Wage Committee is a standing committee, we are appealing that the committee should reconvene with immediate effect to look into the implementation of minimum wage for local government employees, the outstanding balance to some ministries in the State Service and other issues associated with the implementation of the minimum wage across board in the state”.
He also appealed for the payment of the outstanding arrears of gratuities saying, “Your Excellency Sir, gratuity is the last hope of a civil servant. We appeal to you to continue the good work you have been doing to pensioners in the state by releasing more funds to settle the outstanding arrears of gratuity in the state and local governments”.
