From Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
Kwara State workers have called on the state government to quickly constitute the minimum wage committee towards the implementation of a new minimum wage for workers.
The NLC chairman, Muritala Saheed Olayinka, and his TUC counterpart, Olufemi, said that the committee when set up should take cognisance of gender.
The state NLC chairman appealed to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to set an example as Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, by implementing the Federal Government’s minimum wage when it is passed into law.
“I urge the government to quickly constitute the minimum wage committee, as we will continue to do our best to face and address every challenge that comes our way in the course of discharging our legitimate duties in line with the mandate given to us.
“We once again want to urge the state government to constitute a minimum wage committee, which will take cognisance of gender.”
The workers also enjoined the state government to continue to make an intervention movement by providing palliatives to the citizen of Kwara State.
Olufemi asked the government to form the state Minimum Wage Committee and inaugurate the committee immediately before the pronouncement on the minimum wage by President Bola Tinubu.
Meanwhile, Governor Abdulrazaq has promised to implement another minimum wage, as soon as all processes were concluded.
“Amid other competing demands of public administration, infrastructural development, and keeping the fabrics of the society together, our administration has responded in various ways to mitigate the teething effects of the reforms.
“We have introduced a monthly transport support, otherwise known as wage award, staggered working days, and implemented various promotion and other welfare packages that are meant to strengthen the spending powers of the workers. We have similarly rolled out different layers of support to the general public in our holistic approach to lessen the impacts of the reforms. We will continue to review our responses within the current realities, including the implementation of another minimum wage as soon as all processes have been concluded.”