Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has pleaded with the state government to release the withheld November 2024 salaries of its members across the 16 local government areas of the state.
It noted that about 75 percent of workers in the state who are mostly employees of local government areas are yet to be paid their salaries for the month of November.
Those affected include workers under the banner of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) and National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM).
In a statement issued in Ilorin, the state Secretary of NLC, Comrade Isiah Elachochi Eigege, called on Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to direct relevant authorities to swiftly work on the matter and release the withheld November salaries.
The statement said the appeal became necessary to avert the looming industrial disquiet in the state local governments.
It urged the state government to ensure that November salaries were paid to the affected workers ahead of the payment of December salaries.
The NLC in the statement thanked the state government for taking the lead in the area of workers’ welfare.
“The Kwara State workers under the umbrella of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) wishes to draw the attention of the state government to the nonpayment of workers November 2024 salaries in the state.
“It may surprise His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kwara State that more than 75 percent of the workers, majority of whom are staff of the 16 local government areas of the state have not received their November 2024 salaries in the state.
“Consequently, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is using this forum to appeal to the state government to effect the payment of the November 2024 salaries to avert industrial unrest.
“Your Excellency, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) will not accept the payment of December Salary 2024 without the full payment of November 2024 salaries.
“In view of the above, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) hereby calls on the state government to, without wasting time, effect the full payment of the November 2024 salaries to the affected members to avoid invocation of relevant provisions of the labour law to declare a total shutdown of the state by Thursday 19th December 2024, until November 2024 salaries are paid in full”, the statement partly read.
