0
0
The Nigeria Labour Congress, Kwara State Branch under its Chairman, Alhaji Issa Ore, has explained that the labour signed the minimum wage agreement with the Kwara State goverment to commit the goverment to the payment of minimum wage to workers.
Ore disclosed this in an interview with The Punch correspondent in Ilorin on Sunday.
It will be recalled that Kwara State Government had on Friday said in a statement signed by its Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, that it inked the minimum wage agreement with the labour unions in the state, confirming that the payment for levels 1 to 6 had begun in February.
Ajakaye said the agreement held that the consequential adjustment would be implemented ‘as would be agreed upon by the minimum wage committee’ amid ongoing negotiations between the two parties.
The statement said that the deal was signed for the labour unions by members of their delegation led by NLC chairman, Issa Ore, while Permanent Secretary Service Welfare, Alhaja Afusat Afolabi, signed the agreement on behalf of the Head of Service/Chairman of the Government’s Minimum Wage Committee.
Ore said, “The state government has been paying the minimum wage to workers on grade level 1-6.
We had to sign the minimum wage agreement with them to make them committed because if they don’t sign the agreement, they may withdraw the payment anytime.
“But, we are yet to agree on consequential adjustment for workers on level 7-17 because we did not agree with the table presented to the labour by the government team.”
Ore who said the minimum wage team comprised of labour team and the goverment team headed by the Head of the State Public Service and some permanent secretaries stated that the table presented to the labour team by the government was not acceptable and could not be in the interest of the state workers.
