Labour crisis looms in Ekiti as workers threaten showdown over minimum wage, unpaid arrears

  Labour crisis looms in Ekiti as workers in the state on Wednesday threatened a showdown with the government in the new year if Governor  Kayode Fayemi fails to implement the N30,000 minimum wage and the consequential adjustment to workers across the board.

The labour, which threatened to protest next week, said that the only way labour crisis could be averted, is the payment of all the promotion and salary arrears to all categories of workers as negotiated

Shortly after the minimum wage was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018, Governor Fayemi implemented the payment to workers on grade levels 01 and 06, promising to effect across the board when the finances of the state improve.

The threat to embark on a strike to welcome the state into the new year was reached at a meeting held by trade unions operating in the state on Tuesday evening.

The communique conveying the message released to journalists on Wednesday was signed by the Chairmen of Nigerian Labour Congress, Coms Kolapo Olatunde, Trade Union Congress,  Sola Adigun, and Joint Negotiating Committee, Kayode Fatomiluyi.

The labour unions said they reached a compromise on the implementation with the government before a strange formula was allegedly introduced to stall the process.

Subsequently, the labour directed “that the agreed New minimum wage and consequential adjustment table should be sustained without any concession.

“That the new minimum wage and consequential adjustment implementation should commence  for payment in January *2021* with the accruable arrears from April 2020

“That all arrears of promotions for years 2017, 2018 and 2019; arrears of leave bonuses for years 2016, 2017,2018,2019 and 2020  as well as 6 years for Local governments, subvented institutions and four years for State workers salary arrears and deductions should be paid in earnest.

“That the organized labour should with immediate effect report to the enlarged workers at the State Secretariat complex to allow adequate information to the generality of the workforce.

“That failure on the part of the state government to implement the new minimum wage and consequential adjustment as negotiated,  as well as various outstanding arrears, the organized labour should mobilise workers for peaceful protest in the first week of January 2021”.