By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
A partial strike led by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over alleged non-compliance with the national minimum wage has begun in parts of Kaduna metropolis.
Reports indicate that some government primary schools sent pupils home on Monday, citing the industrial action.
While the Kaduna State Government claimed it had implemented the national minimum wage, the NLC disputed this, accusing the state of defaulting on the wage directive.
In a statement issued over the weekend, Governor Uba Sani’s administration asserted that it had commenced payment of the minimum wage. The Chief Press Secretary, Malam Ibraheem Musa, emphasized that the least-paid worker in Kaduna received a gross salary of ₦72,000 in November, dismissing NLC’s claims as “misrepresentations.”
“His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, has fully complied with the National Minimum Wage Law by ensuring the lowest-paid civil servant earned ₦72,000 last month,” the statement read.
The government further clarified the distinction between minimum wage and consequential salary adjustments, noting that the latter was beyond the mandatory wage implementation.
“Kaduna State generates approximately ₦12 billion monthly from federal allocations and internally generated revenue. However, with the wage bill rising from ₦5.4 billion to ₦6.3 billion and loan repayments of ₦4 billion, only ₦2 billion remains for critical development projects such as health, education, and rural transformation,” the statement explained.
The government criticized the NLC’s stance, highlighting that allocating over 90% of its revenue to salaries for 84,827 civil servants would be unreasonable, given the state’s population of over 10 million people.
Malam Musa urged the NLC to exercise patience regarding consequential adjustments until government revenues improve, reiterating Governor Sani’s commitment to labor-friendly policies.
As part of its support measures, the state government has procured buses to provide free transportation for civil servants to and from work, aiming to ease the prevailing economic hardship.
Meanwhile, the NLC has expressed dissatisfaction with the alleged wage default and threatened a statewide strike beginning December 2, in line with directives from its national leadership.
