Our Reporters

IT is certainly not the best of times for most states of the country. A host of them are on a cliff hanger over how to resolve the lingering industrial disharmony over the N18,000 minimum wage. Some of them like Adamawa, Enugu, Kano and Ebonyi have been paralysed by workers strike.

A couple of others are on the verge of being crippled by industrial action unless the governments yield to organized labour’s demand. There are also others like Osun, Edo, Akwa Ibom, etc, which have passed through the furnace of strikes with peace just returning.

To get the ship of state sailing, some states are adopting interesting strategies such as outright appeal to labour for understanding and raising of joint negotiation panels to address the nagging issue. Jigawa and Abia are among states that have raised joint negotiation committees to stem the imminent industrial crisis.

Vanguard’s peep into what is happening across the states reveal interesting scenarios. Only a handful of the states are crisis free having agreed to pay the new wage. They include Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Rivers, Borno, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Gombe, Sokoto and Ekiti Implementation of the new wage in Anambra State would be reflected in August salaries. In Sokoto, the government, which agreed to pay, wants to fish out ghost workers before commencing payment. And in Bayelsa, payment will begin this month. In Niger, workers are losing patience over the government’s delay tactics.

Aliyu foot drags in Niger
Governor  Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State was one of the first governors who agreed to pay the N18,000 Minimum wage  but till date no payment has been made and the stage is almost set for a total war from labour.

At different fora, the governor who was also a Labour leader in the state and now Chairman, Northern Governors Forum had  re-assured civil servants of the commitment of his administration to pay and even influence his counterparts in the North to follow suit.

Several months after, what appeared to be a cheering news to the workers has turned sour as the state government, like many others across the country, is singing discordant tunes on why it might not be able to implement the new pay  across board. It cites  lean revenue allocation accruing to the state and ghost workers as reasons..

The Head of service told reporters recently that of the 34,000 civil servants in the state, 4,700 have been discovered to be ghost workers and had been drawing salaries from the state government for over 10 years.

However, following the government’s failure to attend a meeting with labour two weeks ago, the workers are reading meanings into Aliyu’s delay.

Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress in the state, (NLC) Comrade Yahaya Idris Ndako said that failure of government to attend the meeting was a clear indication that the state government was deliberately  foot-dragging and playing politics with the sensitive issue and therefore threatened to call on workers in the state to embark on an indefinite strike .

Strike enters 11th day in Adamawa
In Adamawa, the strike  embarked upon by workers entered the 11th day yesterday as negotiation between the Labour and government remained deadlocked.
To wriggle out of the logjam, Adamawa State Deputy Governor, Bala James Ngilari is now leading the government negotiating team with the organized labour, which  is insisting that the strike would not be called off unless  the government signs  an agreement to pay the N18,000 minimum wage.

…It’s  day three in Kano
A similar situation obtains in Kano where government activities have been paralysed since Tuesday. The workers are protesting the failure of Governor Rabiu Musa  Kwankwaso’s administration to show strong commitment to implementing the new minimum Wage signed into law last July by the President.

Kano State Government last weekend revealed that it required N6.5billion to offset the salary and wages of its 45,000 workforce, adding that ‘it intends to discuss the consequence of such action with Labour leaders in the state.

Speaking before the Community Reorientation Committee in Kano, Deputy Governor, Umar Ganduje, alleged that Labour leaders had turned down government’s invitation to dialogue, adding that it would be difficult to sacrifice the collective interest of over nine million people for 45,000 civil servants. He said such steps would hinder Government’s effort at providing basic infrastructure to the people because Kano State’s monthly receipt was N6billion.

In Ebonyi, it’s fight-to-finish

There is no end in sight to the boiling confrontation between the government and oganised labour in Ebonyi State as the industrial action embarked by workers entered the seventh day yesterday. The duo are yet to reach a compromise as to how and when to implement the new Minimum Wage.
Labour accused state government of restructuring the National Minimum wage implementation table contrary to what the Federal government had prescribed for workers in the country. Conversely, government accused Labour of breaching agreement reached between both
parties and inciting workers to embark on an indefinite strike.

With accusation and counter accusation emanating from both sides, the state government on Friday, September 9 via a Public Service Announcement signed by Secretary to the State Government, Chief Fidelis Mbam, Head of Service, Mrs. Ugo Nnachi, Commissioner for
Information and State Orientation, Mr. Chike Onwe and Special Adviser to the Government on Labour Relations, Comrade John Nwokerekwu, directed workers to return to work on September 12 or lose their salaries.

It read: “Most unfortunately, the Organized Labour reneged from the aforesaid agreement by not suspending the strike action. It should be noted that under the Labour law no Government can continue to dialogue or negotiate in the face of Industrial Action, more so as Government has accepted to pay the minimum wage in accordance with the law.

“Whereas the Government presented a Minimum Wage table which is in line with the National Minimum Wage Act and pleaded for its implementation while a Joint Committee of government and labour proceed to obtain data on the performance of comparative states on the implementation of the new Minimum Wage, Labour agreed to suspend the strike action on Thursday 8th September 2011 to continue discussion of the issue. Consequently, Government directs all workers of Ebonyi state to return to work unfailingly on Monday, 12th September, 2011.

However, Labour on Monday asked workers to ignore the resumption directive and continue with the strike.

Benue: Workers reject August salaries
To show their seriousness, civil servants in Benue have turned down their August salaries on the premise that it did not reflect the new wage.

Though Governor Gabriel Suswam had repeatedly assured that his administration would soon commence the implementation of the new wage structure, the bone of contention remains when.

The state government and the NLC have held series of meetings to clear all knotty issues like the ghost worker syndrome in the state’s service before the implementation of the new wage structure.
Addressing newsmen on the issue few days ago, Governor Suswam said: “We are doing our calculations and strategizing on how to go about it. The fact of the matter is, we are now moving from N1.4 billion monthly wage bill to N2.4 billion if we implement the new law.

In a month, on the average, we receive between N2 billion and N2.5 billion. It then means that any month we receive only N2 billion, all the monies will be expended on the current expenditure and we will be running our state like a local government.”
NLC Chairman, Comrade Simon Anchaver, said labour would not shift grounds on the issue unless the government came out clear on commencement date.

Kaduna gets 7-day ultimatum

In Kaduna, leaders of the NLC and Trade Union Congress(TUC),  last Friday,  issued the government one week ultimatum to sign an agreement endorsing the N18,000 minimum wage  Law or  face indefinite strike from Monday, September 19.

In a press release jointly signed by Adamu Ango (NLC chairman) and Paul Y.Jezhi (TUC chairman), they said that after carefully studying the situation and agreement with the government of Kaduna State in principle as to the implementation of the 18,000 minimum wage, which was concluded as far 30th of July 2011, that they had no choice than issue the ultimatum.

Acting Head of Service of the State, Mrs Hannatu Ugah, said government was awaiting guidelines on the implementation   of the N18,000 minimum wage. She stated that Kaduna State’s monthly wage bill for its 94,000 workers was  N2.4 billion. The State Civil Service employs 34,000 with a monthly wage bill of N1.4 billion. School teachers are 40,000 and earn N800 million monthly. The 23 Local Councils have 20,000 staff and are paid N200 million monthly. On the N18,000 minimum wage she said, “government is awaiting guidelines for the implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage”.

Ondo begins payment
In Ondo, workers, who had gone on strike earlier over the matter, have started receiving the new pay. This was after the state government broke the imbroglio by calling a stakeholders meeting where traditional rulers and other opinion leaders  pleaded with the workers to call of the strike.

Borno approves new wage
Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State on Tuesday approved the implementation and payment of N18, 229 minimum wage to workers, following the signing of an agreement between the Head of Service, Alhaji Abba Ashigar, NLC, TUC and the Joint Negotiating Council on the full
implementation of the minimum wage at the Musa Usman secretariat complex, Maiduguri.

Head of Service, Abba Ashigar said with the agreement, the state’s wage bill for its 26,000 workers had been shot up by  to N1.73 billion from  N1.3 billion.

He said the implementation of the minimum wage took effect from August 1 this year, while the balance of August would be paid this month.

The salary arrears for the months of April, May, June and July are to be paid in four installments, commencing in October and to be completed January next year.

Akwa Ibom returns to negotiation table
In Akwa Ibom State the status of minimum wage was pecked at 60 to 69 percent across board and the implementation was back dated to April 2011, but so far the August Salary that was paid did not reflect the package.

The State governor Chief Godswill Akpabio during the signing had said the state government would need about additional N1 billion to be able to pay and urged the State Ministry of Finance and the Internal Revenue Unit of the state to work harder to generate more revenue to the coffers of the State.

He noted that the three days warning strike by the workers was uncalled for and pleaded for dialogue instead of strike.

The workers in the State had rejected the package calling for the immediate removal of the State NLC, Mr. Unyime Usoro.  The Union has however decided to go back to the negotiation table for a better negotiation, noting that what was  paid was not what was published on the table.
Suspense reigns in Ekiti as Fayemi agrees

In Ekiti, workers are patiently awaiting the September commencement date before deciding on the next line of action. Labour leaders in the state  appeared  skeptical  about the sincerity of the state government to  fully implement the payment to all categories of workers in the state public service

Lst week, Governor Kayode Fayemi at a function in Ado Ekiti, the state capital assured that he would pay the wage this month and sent a supplementary budget to the House of Assembly to cover the additional expenditure.

Rivers agrees to pay
The Rivers State Government said it would pay the N18, 000 minimum wage to its workers. Commissioner for information and communications Mrs. Ibim Seminitari told Vanguard, yesterday, that the state already pays N17, 000. “It is a law that we must obey. Of course we will pay, what we need to add is just N1, 000 and that will not be a problem.

Govt strikes deal with NLC in Gombe
In Gombe, the state government after a six-day strike from September 1 to 6, reached an agreement with Labour last Monday to implement the new wage law.

The agreement reached is that Level 1 Step 1 will receive N19,241.00 including  Leave Transport Grant (LTG), monthly. The implementation month is September and five months arrears starting from April to August would be paid.

Edo begins partial implementation
The  NLC and the Edo State government agreed on the implementation of the wage for workers in the state. But staff of the state judiciary, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the House of Assembly were not captured in the initial agreement which eventually led to industrial dispute between the organized labour and the state government.

However, the strike action was called off after a week and negotiation commenced between government and the NLC as regards inculcating  teachers and judicial workers into the new salary scheme.

Workers give govt more time in Imo
The planned industrial action by workers in Imo State was again rescheduled last Monday, following the passionate appeal made by the State Chairman of NLC, Comrade Reginald Anyandike.
Addressing workers in the State Secretariat Complex premises along Port Harcourt Road, Owerri, Anyadike told the angry staff that labour leaders were meeting with representatives of the state government, which had called for patience from workers.

Delta awaits Uduaghan’s nod
Although Delta,  one of the oil producing states in the country has accepted in principle, to pay the minimum wage of N18,000, it is yet to implement it.

State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chike Ogeah  said, “in principle we have agreed to pay. There is no problem with that. Before the minimum wage issue came up, Delta State government has been paying a minimum of N17,500, so with the N18,000 the difference is N500. As we speak, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) has sent a memo to His Excellency, the Governor on the issue. The Governor is studying it and I think he will sign it shortly.”

Investigation showed that the State Government is saddled with high wage bill already with a workforce of about 36,000 excluding teachers and political officer holders, coupled with the issue of ghost workers.

Sometime ago, about 7,000 ghost workers were discovered following the screening of the workforce in the state civil service through the use of the electronic biometric capture exercise. The state governor Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan who revealed this during an interactive session with labour leaders in Asaba said the discovery had significantly reduced the wage bill.

Disagreement persists in Yobe

In Yobe, dialogue between government and labour has remained deadlocked. While government is proposing to the NLC an additional N300 million on the July Salary figure without arrears as a takeoff of the new minimum wage for Grade Level 1 to 6 , the NLC is insisting on N500 million.

Negotiations continue on the Plateau

In Plateau, negotiation is still on even though the government has agreed to implement the new wage bill.

The negotiation which is expected to be completed not later than Thursday September 15 was sequel to an agreement between government and labour after the September 1 to 6  strike to press for the implementation of the new wage.

However, it was learnt that workers would not hesitate to resume their suspended strike if government delayed the implementation of the new wage.