Nasarawa: After slashing salaries, Almakura threatens workers for going on strike
Grave consequences await any worker who doesn’t resume at work on Monday in Nasarawa state, governor Umaru Tanko Almakura has said.
Almakura said this at the launch of fertilizer distribution for the year 2016 on Friday.
The state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, had earlier declared an indefinite strike over the government’s decision to cut workers’ salaries by up to 50 per cent owing to the current state of the economy.
“We staged a peaceful protest to the government house on Monday 4, where we made it clear that if by the government did not reverse its decision to cut our salaries would embark on strike,” the state’s labour leader said while declaring declaring the strike.
But Almakura thinks the workers should bear with his government’s decision as it was enforced by prevailing economic conditions.
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According to the governor, workers in Nasarawa state had, between August 2011 and April 2016 received three times their salary.
Within the said period, government gave over 20 billion extra to workers and now that the economic fortunes have changed government sees it necessary to review the salary without touching the minimum wage, the governor said.
He added that even the reviewed salary is double what the minimum wage prescribes or what is paid in other states.
He therefore urged them to resume work by Monday or face the consequences of their action, as the government is still paying them above what the law prescribes..
