Nigeria Labour Congress suspends planned strike, protest in Kano

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has discontinued its plans for a three-day warning strike over supposed plans by the Kano State Government to return to N18,000 minimum wage.

The National Deputy President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr Najeem Yasin, declared the suspension of the strike on Thursday, the same day it was planned to begin in Kano.

In the meantime, NLC recollected that the State Government had deducted the March salary of the workers.

As indicated by him, the decision to suspend the strike and nonviolent protest followed the agreement reached between the Kano State Government and the organised labour on Wednesday.

He stated, “The meeting was convened at the instance of Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje with the representatives of the National President of the NLC, Mr Ayuba Wabba and other labour officials.

“Kano state government revealed that it has no intention to go back to payment of the old N18,000 minimum wage as speculated, and reiterated its position to respect the agreement of N30,600 signed between the two parties in December 2019.

“Also, we agreed that the March deductions in workers’ salaries at state and Local Government levels should be refunded to workers along with the April or May salaries, depending on the increase of FAAC allocation for the period.

“A committee was set up between the organised labour and the government to look into all contentious issues as presented by the labour union.

“We also resolved that all machinery for the implementation of the new minimum wage of N39,600 should be put in place for the Kano State University of Science (KUST) Wudil and Yusuf Maitama Sule Universities.

“The meeting also agreed that payment of monthly pension and all the entitlements of retirees should be vested under the resolution and approval of the board of trustees of Kano State Pension Fund Trustee as provided by the 2006 pension law.

“Among the resolutions is that no worker or any leader should be punished/treated in a prejudicial/malicious manner as a result of partaking in the planned industrial action by the Kano State Government.

“Therefore, with the above resolutions, the three days industrial action scheduled to begin April 8, and peaceful protest on April 12, are hereby suspended by the organised labour.”