By Tina George, Minna
The week has been a hectic for Niger state government and the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, with endless meetings to negotiate on planned salary cut of November salaries by the government.
While the state government says it cannot pay full salaries of workers, the NLC insists that workers must collect 100 per cent of their take home pay without compromising.
The meeting held on Thursday ended in a deadlock as none of the two parties was ready to shift grounds.
According to a source who spoke to AsheNews on condition of anonymity, in the meeting NLC insisted to know why government insisting that civil servants agree for their salaries to be deferred while there is no indication (through its activities), that there is recession in Niger state.
The source further said that NLC suggested that government should, instead, cut down the salaries of political appointees and restructure their commitments of building roads and debt servicing, to ensure that they pay the full salaries of the workers.
“NLC argued that, with the federal allocation of N4.2 billion received, paying workers salaries of N2.6 billion, should not be difficult for government to pay as the balance would be used to settle other sectors,” the source said.
When contacted, the Niger state Chairman of the labour union, Comrade Yakubu Garba confirmed to AsheNews that the meeting had no headway as each party maintained its stand.
According to him, labour had given the government a three-point demand, which must be met, otherwise the union would embark on industrial strike action.
“Our position is that the 30 per cent differed balance of June should be paid. We are not taking anything less than 100 per cent for November and the 80 civil servants dismissed by the government must be absolved back into service. Failure to do these, the government should expect the resumption of our strike.
“We asked them why they are asking us to differ our salaries because of recession when there is none of their activities that has shown that there is recession in Niger state. Why is it that it is only the salaries of workers that would be affected, especially when the government is still giving political appointments? Garba told AsheNews.
The Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Comrade Inusa Tanimu who also confirmed the deadlock, said that no date had been fixed for another meeting, stressing that labour is maintaining its stand.
“The meeting ended in a deadlock. We did not agree with their stand and no date has been fixed for the next meeting. But our stand is that for November salary, it is 100 per cent, no compromise, no negotiation. 100 per cent must be paid,” he affirmed.
The Secretary to the Niger state government, Alhaji Ahmed Matane also confirmed that the meeting was inconclusive as labour insisted on 100 per cent and not ready to listen to any other explanation given by government.
On the percentage offered to labour, the SSG lamented that they did not give room for an offer of percentage.
“They did not allow an offer of percentage. One of the bases for the discussion is for them to say the minimum percentage, if they cannot accept our offer. We will dialogue along that line but they came with one position that it is 100 per cent or never”, he lamented.
Matane insisted that government cannot pay 100 per cent salaries to civil servants, positing that whatever percentage is differed would be paid back to the civil servants when the economy improves.
He called on civil servants to show more understanding to the plight of the government, “it is not just Niger state; it is a national issue; it is a global issue. It is a recession and it is not sparing anyone or anything.”
When asked about the salaries of political appointees, the SSG said that their cut will be dependent on the governor’s position on the matter.
He added that since June when the political appointees’ salaries were cut by 30 per cent, it has not been reversed back.
“For political appointees, if we are not paying anybody, the total of their salaries is about N270 million but if we are going to pay 100 per cent for civil servants, we are going to pay N2.7 billion.
“In June, the salaries of political appointees was cut by 30 per cent, theirs was a cut and not a differed payment like that of the civil servants.
“For civil servants, we are going to owe them because we cannot cut their salaries. We are only differing it and we will pay the balance once the economy improves. It is a debt on our head and we expect the civil servants to understand this,” the SSG told AsheNews.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Sani Idris while speaking with newsmen on Friday said that the state government valued security more than the salaries of workers.
He asserted that government might go-ahead to cut the workers’ salaries despite NLC’s refusal to shift grounds.
He said that the state is passing through unusual times which calls for understanding from all stakeholders in the state.
“We are in a period of crisis which is not peculiar to Niger state alone, worldwide the reality is there, the COVID-19 pandemic which we are exiting signalled this recession.
“The truth is that Nigeria is not left out of this recession; Niger state as a unit is not immune; that is why government is appealing for workers’ understanding in the payment of percentage salaries in November,” he said.
Idris explained that the amount received from the Federal allocation and how it would be shared, adding that if government paid 100 per cent salaries, the insecurity in the state would increase.
“The state government received a total of N4.2 billion from FAAC for October as against the over N5 billion it normally gets. Out of this, workers salaries is to gulp N2.9 billion; pension and gratuities N500 million and the contributory pension scheme N200 million, leaving next to nothing for other segments, especially security.
“Honestly, the government cannot forgo security and pay salaries alone; we can not relent on our ongoing onslaught against banditry, this inconvenience for workers is temporary,” the Commissioner said.
A civil servant who spoke with AsheNews but preferred to keep his name anonymous said no state government in Nigeria had contemplated cutting workers’ salaries.
“How much is an ordinary worker’s salary that government is contemplating cutting? No state in Nigeria has contemplated cutting its workers’ salaries as a result of recession or any other reason, whatsoever. There might still be insecurity, if a worker takes to criminal means to augment his cut salary. If government could borrow to do some other ‘not all important’ things, why wouldn’t it do same to tackle, specifically, insecurity? I think there is a display of insensitivity on the part of government,” he said. Government should rather cut salaries of the governor, deputy governor, lawmakers, local government chairmen, etc who have other ways of making money. It should cut government expenses BUT not the meager salary of an ordinary worker.”
As the government and NLC draws battle line on the controversial salary cut in Niger state, it will remain to be seen whether at the end, government will look for alternative ways to end the debacle or allow the state to be further drowned in economy crisis, which may result from workers’ strike.
