Low spirit Eid Fitri celebrations, Labour sympathize with Kano workers
By Abdulgafar Oladimeji
Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC Kano state council has expressed concerns over the frustration suffered by public workers and pensioners ,owing to the failure by Kano state government to pay their April wages .
The workers umbrella body decried what it described as the low spirit celebration under with which Kano workers observed the Muslim festivities , due to the non payment of their salaries prior to the Eid day.
The council in a press release dated 5th May, 2022, signed by Kabiru Ado Minjibir and Husaini Buda, chairman and secretary respectively, labour frowned at the weak financial capacity of Kano workers and pensioners prior and during the Eid Fitri celebrations, which impeded usual beehive festive activities.
The body however appealed to worker to always exercise high level patience, though stated that, it is not unaware of the cries of workers and pensioners that had enveloped social media platforms.
Minjobir stated that the JPSNC, which is the arm empowered to negotiate the welfare of workers had made a case in efforts to compel the state government to cave into paying wages before the celebrations, the efforts failed, he explained .
Speaking on the defence offered by the state government that the non payments of April wages was caused by the failure and non release of FAAC allocation to the state by the federal government , the body dismissed the excuse, while advising the state government to always plan ahead.
NLC Kano advise the state government to always save for rainy days, adding that Kano state government should create reservoir of funds to cater for the payments of wages, in the period of scarcity suggesting one month savings kept in the state coffers will have helped to forestall the unwarranted failure to pay April wages to kano workers .
The congress expressed mixed feelings in its Eid Fitri felicitation message sent to Kano workers , urging its members to understand the constraint imposed on the congress in the provisions of extant labour laws, limiting the capacity of the body when navigating issues such as the delayed payment of their April wages.
