Labour threatens strike in Kwara

    
The Kwara State chapters of the Trade Union Congress and Nigeria Labour Congress on Thursday threatened to go on strike if their demands were not met by the state government.

TUC Chairman, Comrade Olumoh Kolawole and NLC Chairman, Comrade Farouk Akanbi, spoke to journalists in Ilorin during the Kwara State TUC’s State Council 3rd triennial state delegates’ conference.

But the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Labour Matters, Mr. Bisi Fakayode, stated that the state government would resolve the issues with labour before the expiration of labour’s ultimatum.

Labour had given the state government an ultimatum that will expire on February 28 to address their demands.

Some of the grievances include, workers’ annual increment which should have commenced on January and commensurate increase for workers from Level 17 and above on the Minimum Wage.

Another issue in contention is the Millennium Development Goals deduction and controversy on the bank shares, which government assisted workers to purchase through loan. Labour alleged that the workers have not gotten their certificates even after some years of repayment of the loan.

Other areas of disagreement include the payment of 50 per cent alleged balance on CONHESS for medical and health workers, pensioners for the Local Government and primary school level workers, and allowances for workers in the state owned media organisations.