Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has reiterated government’s commitment to implement any figure unanimously agreed upon as new national minimum wage for workers.
Addressing workers to mark May Day celebration in Yola Wednesday, Fintiri said government is keenly following development on the new national minimum way.
“We are fully committed to implementing whatever figure that is eventually agreed upon,” Fintiri said.
Represented by his deputy, Professor Kaletapwa Farauta, the governor said government has released N3 billion for the payment of gratuity to the retirees in the state.
“Over the past five years we have redefined government-labour relationship and steered it away from the traditional confrontation towards consultation, ” he said.
Fintiri further expressed his administration’s renewed commitment towards addressing issues affecting state and local government pensioners, hence the release of three billion naira to offset the accumulated pension/gratuities.
The state chairman Nigerian labour congress Comrade Emmanuel Fashe frowned at the “degrading living standard of Nigerians” because of federal government’s policies such as the subsidy removal, hike in electricity tariff, naira floating, among others.
He drew the attention of government to how “inflation has made it impossible for salary earners to live within their salaries, calling for urgent and tangible measures to alleviate the sufferings of the citizens.
Comrade Fashe however, commended governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri for giving Adamawa a new face lift through various development projects spread across the 21 local government areas, and his timely palliative interventions to workers as well as masses to cushion the current hardship.
He made case for the reintroduction of workers revolving loan program to enable them have access to financial loan and access materials at a low and affordable rate.
He also sought three months arrears of consequential adjustment of the current new national minimum wage, review of civil service rules, a media bill passed by the state assembly awaiting the assent of the executive arm of government, among other demands.
The state chairman Trade Union Congress Engineer Dauda Adamu Ali made case for making casual staff permanent government workers
