The Niger government on Friday said that it would be difficult to pay 100 per cent salaries to the state civil servants owing to economic recession facing the country.
Alhaji Mohammed Idris, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy disclosed this during a press briefing with newsmen in Minna. “Niger government got N4.2 billion as Federal Allocation accruing to the state for November 2020.
“Right now it will be difficult to pay full salaries to our workers due to dwindling resources caused by recession. “Due to the challenges we are having, we have decided to do away with over-head for our Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs),” he said.
Idris also said that security challenges facing the state such as banditry and kidnapping are some of the reasons making government to cut workers pay by 30 per cent. He said that the measure would enable the government save some funds to tackle insecurity in the state.
“We are not slashing workers salaries, what we are doing now is to differ workers salaries to tackle security issues and pay them when the economy improves,” he said.
The Commissioner explained that government was still discussing with the organised labour; Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) on the way forward.
He said that aside the police, the state government was working with the military to tackle insecurity such as banditry, kidnapping and other forms of crime in the state.
The meeting between the state government and organised labour on Thursday (yesterday) over payment of the November workers salaries ended up in a deadlock as negotiations yeilded no result.
Labour argued that with the federal allocation of N4.2 billion recieved, paying workers salaries of N2.6 billion should not be difficult for the government to pay as the balance would be used to settle other sectors.
Mr Yakubu Garba, the state NLC Chairman had told journalists that organised labour has given the government a three point demand which should be met, saying failure to meet these damands would lead to industrial action in the state.
“Our position is that the 30 per cent differed balance of June salaries should be paid, we are not taking anything less than 100 per cent in November and the 80 civil servants dismissed by the government must be absolved back into service.
“Failure to do these, the government should expect the resumption of our strike,” he said. Also, Alhaji Ibrahim Matane, The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), who also confirmed that the meeting was inconclusive as labour insisted on 100 per cent and not ready to listen to any other explanation given by the government.
“They did not give an opportunity for an offer of percentage. ”One of the basis of the discussion is for them to state the percentage minimum they can take and we will dialogue along that line but they came with one position that it is 100 per cent or never,” he said.
Matane also insisted that government does not have the capacity to pay 100 per cent salaries of civil servants, saying that whatever per cent differed would be paid back to the workers when the economy improves.
