Kano NLC demands gratuity arrears, minimum wage

Leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kano State has vowed to pursue with vigour members’ welfare and entitlement in the public and private sectors.

Specifically, the new Chairman, Auwal Inuwa, demanded urgent payment of outstanding pension and gratuity to senior citizens who, having committed 35 years to service, continued to wait endlessly for their entitlements.

Inuwa made the appeal, yesterday, after his election along with nine other executive council members during the 13th Quadrennial State Delegates Conference at Mumbayya House, Kano.

The successor to Dr. Kabiru Minjibir, who was recently elected the National Deputy President of NLC, equally challenged the state government to ensure payment of minimum wage to workers at local council level.

Pledging to consolidate the legacies of his predecessor, Inuwa declared to run open door policy to accommodate concrete advice and sustain mutual relationship with stakeholders.

He said: “We will consolidate on the legacies of the outgoing leadership of NLC, while widening the scope of leadership to accommodate advice, recommendations and suggestions to move forward. We will review our activities to improve where we have fallen short and consolidate achievements.”

“More essentially, our relationship with the government will be reviewed. We are in the period of scientific labour approach to issues, which is better than confrontation, though the labour law did not forbid confrontation. Whenever we agreed to say no, we will in smiling faces.”

KWARA State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has congratulated the newly elected chairman of NLC in the state, Muritala Olayinka, and other members of the newly constituted State Administrative Council.

“The governor congratulates the NLC on the success of its 13th Quadrennial Delegates Conference in Ilorin and the emergence of its new leadership in Kwara State. He is truly excited at the quality of the new leadership that he trusts will build on the constructive engagement, collective bargaining principles, and industrial harmony with the government as espoused by the outgone leadership.

“He looks forward to working with the new leadership of the NLC and the labour movement as a whole in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and commitment to public good,” according to a Government House statement, yesterday.

The governor urged the new leadership to work with his administration to continuously improve workers’ welfare on a sustainable basis.