NLC reject palliative; vow not to participate in distribution

 Organized Labour in Niger State has kicked against the formula adopted by the state government in the distribution of palliatives to its members and has therefore backed out of the distribution exercise.

It has also directed its members not to participate in the distribution of palliative as announced by the state Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago.

The State Chairman of the NLC Idris Abdulkareem Lafene, explained to that the decision to back out of the exercise was because the state government refused to include civil servants as direct beneficiaries of the palliatives as proposed by the officials which the workers generally have kicked against.

"The Organised Labour finds it odd that the executive governor did not come out clearly to include the working class in the first phase of the palliatives.

"The deliberate plan by the Niger State Government to skim out the working class and pensioners in the state has triggered serious tension among members and this  could have a negative effect on the overall productivity of the working class. 

"The State Administrative Council, (SAC), in their meeting had resolved that the N110 million announced by the governor as  palliative for industrial unions should be collapsed and added to whatever was intended for the generality of workers and credited directly to the salary accounts of civil servants and retirees in the state and local government areas sustainably for six months but what is happening now is not in consonant with the agreement, Lafene declared."

The Chairman said other resolutions of the SAC as presented by the NLC Chairman included the immediate implementation of outstanding promotions and annual increments for eligible workers in the state and LGAs and the implementation of a minimum pension based on the N30,000 national minimum wage for retirees in the state and LGAs among others.

Comrade Lafene said NLC in the state has thrown its weight behind the national officials and then directed all workers in the state to "fully participate in the two-day warning strike" called by the NLC National Secretariat that kicks off today nationwide.