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The Kogi State Head of Civil Service, Mrs. Hannah Onyinoyi Odiyo has responded to the 14-day ultimatum issued to the government by organized Labour in the state over non-implementation of minimum wage and percentage payment of salaries to workers in the local government.
Mrs. Odiyo in a rejoined received by ebirareporters.com over the weekend, reacted to the allegations of non-implementation of minimum wage, and however quiet on the other issues raised by the State Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Onuh Edoka.
Odiyo described as untrue, the allegations that the Minimum Wage Committee set up by the state government was stalled.
“Rather, the Committee had concluded her assignment before the end of year 2021 and report was submitted to His Excellecy, Alhaji Yahaya Bello this year. The report is presently receiving Government attention and the the Leadership of the Organized Labour in the State is aware of this development. As such, a warning letter for an impending strike is uncalled for at this point,” she said.
She stated that the welfare of workers in the state is a priority to the state government, pleading for patience to sail negotiations.
“I plead that the truth should be told at all times so as to maintain the harmonious relationship between the Organised Labour and the State Government. A little more patience is what is needed so that the efforts that had been put into the negotiation process by both parties so far will not be jeopardised,” she added.
Meanwhile, in the statement wherein the Labour Chairman communicated the 14-day ultimatum, Edoka noted that the committee on the minimum wage set up on 14th February 2020 by Governor Bello had refused to submit its report for the implementation of the new wage and its consequential adjustment of 23 percent.
Edoka added that Bello’s administration has refused to cashback promotion arrears for workers and has continued to pay percentage salaries to Local Government workers and pensioners in the state without considering the present economic hardship.
He explained that the strike action will take effect after the expiration of the two-week ultimatum which begins from 25th January 2022.
Explaining further, Edoka said, “the house has resolved that all workers of Kogi State should note that an ultimatum will be served on the State Government as from 25th January 2022. And to this end, the ultimatum served on the Government will be 14 days ultimatum. And after the 14 days’ ultimatum, all workers of the state will proceed on indefinite strike action.
