From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau
Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle of Zamfara State has promised to settle the two months unpaid salaries, allowances and pension arrears before the end of his tenure on May 29th, 2023.
Matawalle who spoke through the state Head of Service, Hon. Kabiru Mohammed Gayari, gave the assurance on Monday while speaking at the 2023 Workers Day celebrations in Gusau, the state capital.
According to him, his administration is committed towards settling the backlog of arrears of workers, pensioners salaries and allowances before May 29th, 2023.
“We have started implementing the N30,000 minimum wage but something happened that disrupted our attention, making us not to fully implement the 30,000 minimum wage”.
Speaking, the State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Comrade Saidu Mudi, lamented that the civil servants in the State were not happy with the State government over failure to meet with agreements reached with the labour representatives.
According to him, the government has failed woefully in the area of protecting workers rights and social economic justice, saying that the workers serve as live wire of government in any society.
“Workers rights are sets of principles as clearly defined by the International Labour Organization, ILO, an agency of the United Nations whose aim is to guarantee fairness, healthy and equitable working conditions for employees by setting forth the International Labour standard”, he lamented.
“While the socio-economic justice involves the provision of equal opportunities to all categories of workers and to ensure that each receives incentives and wages consummate with their task and levels”.
Speaking further, he said that despite all efforts made by the two labour forces in the State but regrettably the the issue has not yet been resolved, pointing out that the amount paid to a cross section of civil servants is not consistent above all salaries are not paid based on table as salary printout is prepared since November 2022.
He said that workers salaries and allowances are no longer paid by grade levels as the government had chosen to pay poorly to the civil servants in the state.
He said, another boiling issue remains unpaid workers salaries and allowances in the past two months, saying that March and April salaries and allowances by the State’s ministry of Finance despite the fact that the State has received statutory allocations from the federation account.
“Regrettably, the Zamfara State civil servants have experienced their worst moments within these two months because it was the entire Muslim Ummah across the world observed fasting of the holy month of Ramadan and Idel- fire sallah celebration but Zamfara State workers were subjected to all kinds of hardships”
“Many of us were not able to provide clothing to our families as a result of the non payment of salaries and allowances during the sallah period. In fact, many could not pay utility or medical bills talk less of medical bills of their families which indeed is very nfortunate”
The State TUC boss however lamented over the problems associated with pension and gratuities of the pensioners which he said the organized Labour forces were being disturbed and running out of patience, saying that they were not happy with the way and manner the State government is handling the issue of pension and gratuities in the State.
In his own submission, the State chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Sani Haliru appealed to the government to stabilize the blueprint of approved and constitutional right of workers, stressing that it will no doubt reduce the pains and hardships during the critical economic situation.
