Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kano State on Wednesday, May 1, demanded payment of a backlog totaling N75 billion accumulated since 2023.
In his address at the International Workers Day, held at Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, the NLC chairman, Kano State Council, Comrade Kabiru Inuwa, also asked for the autonomy of the third tier of government, saying it was crucial to the development of the state.
He said: “The much sought local government autonomy is crucial to the development of our state. It is pertinent to solicit the support of Kano state government in partnering with the agitators to make local government autonomy a reality.”
Inuwa called for payment of wage awards, noting that workers rely on these awards to improve their standard of living.
“We sincerely wish to forward our demands as follows: “The issue of the backlog of unremitted pension contributions by some organisations is alarming, with a staggering accumulation of over 75 billion as of May 2023.
“This poses a serious threat to the financial security of our retirees. No remittance leads to deductions of pension thus nonpayment of full pension for years.
“While we commend the present administration for commencing full payment of pension, we demand that all defaulting government institutions shall commence paying the backlog to enable settlement of retirement and death benefit.
“We are sure if an elaborative analysis of the backlog is done and a strategy to recoup the money is put in place, the accrued benefits could be settled within a few years.
“The payment of wage award that was only paid once needs to be revisited. Workers rely on these awards to improve their standard of living, and a consistent payment schedule should be established to ensure their welfare is safeguarded.”
The workers also called for the re-introduction of institution-based disbursement of vehicle loans and its upward review, saying it was essential to meeting the evolving needs of workers and providing the much-needed support to employees in acquiring vehicles that will boost dedication to service.
Labour said the series of industrial disharmony was due to some unfriendly policies that impeded the proper livelihood of the working class.
Governor Abba Yusuf was represented at the event by his deputy, Comrade Aminu Gwarzo.
