The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Niger have called on the outgoing state government to fulfill a 21-point demand as parting gift to improve the welfare of workers.
Alhaji Idrees Lafene, the state NLC Chairman, made the demand on behalf of NLC and TUC in Minna on Monday.
He said this is to commemorate the 137th International Workers Day, tagged “Workers Rights and Socio-Economic Justice,” for this year.
“The following are the lingering demands of organized labor, some which are receiving attention from government.
“Your Excellency, our Governor, we appeal to you to consider and immediately address the enumerated lingering demands as your parting gift to Niger state civil servants,” he said.
Lafene said that the parting gifts included improvement in general security of the state, sustainable policy on settling backlog of workers gratuities and reverting to the State Joint Account Principal Law as amended in 2001.
He also called on the government to renew commitment in addressing dilapidated infrastructures in the state and local government areas, and also end the delay in payment of local government workers.
The NLC chairman urged government to tackle defrayment from outstanding salary arrears arising from percentage salary payment by some of the 25 local government councils in the state.
He appealed for the payment of October 2020 salary arrears owed staff across the 25 local governments in the state and implementation of consequential adjustments for workers on grade levels seven and above across the local councils.
Lafene demanded that full implementation of Teachers’ Salary Scale (TSS) and 25 per cent salary augmentation for teachers as well as redeeming of government pledge on refunds of payment made for z-pads to desirable members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers.
The labour leader further called for the implementation of grade level 17 and domestic servant allowances for workers at local government councils as stipulated in the scheme of service.
Besides, he appealed for upward review in the salaries of local government health workers by 10 per cent, being the balance of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) owed some category of workers.
Lafene also urged for upward review of salaries of workers in the state owned tertiary institutions by 8.7 per cent, being the balance of Consolidated Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Structure (CONPCASS) owed the category of workers.
He called for the implementation of outstanding promotions for civil servants at the state and local governments, and the implementation of the Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS) approved by government since 2018 as well inclusion of desirable workers to benefit, wardrobe, hazard, shift, overtime and hardline allowances.
He advised government to consider the implementation of consequential adjustment for staff of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, and also invest adequately in the training and re-training of workers at state and local governments.
Lafene further urged government to implement minimum pension to reflect the N30,000 National Minimum Wage and implementation of consequential adjustment for pensioners.
He tasked government on improvement of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state to reduce overdependence on Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
Responding, Gov. Abubakar Bello, said that government would continue to deploy resources to policies that would impact positively on workers until May when the new administration would be inaugurated.
Bello, who was represented by Hajiya Salamatu Abubakar, the state Head of Service, commended the workers for collaborating with government in developing the state.
