The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Kaduna Council, has rejected deduction of 25 per cent of the salaries of civil servants in the state by the Malam Nasir el-Rufai administration.
Chairman of the council, Mr Ayuba Sulaiman, rejected the deductions at a news conference in Kaduna on Wednesday.
Sulaiman said, “Sequel to the deductions of 25 per cent of the salaries of all civil servants in Kaduna state, effective from April 2020, labour in Kaduna State unequivocally rejects the deduction.”
He said that the union was not consulted on the issue nor did it consent to the state government’s decision to make the deductions.
“Article 8 of the International Labour Organisation Protection of Wages Convention, 1949, (No.95) provides that deduction from wages shall be permitted only under conditions and to the extent prescribed by the National Laws or regulations or fixed by collective agreement or arbitration award.
“Also, Section 5(1) of the Labour Act Cap l.1 laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 provides thus:
“Except where it is expressly permitted by this act or any agreement or contract with a worker for any deductions or wages to be paid by the employer to the worker or any payment to the employer by the worker for or in respect of any fines provided that with the prior consent in writing of an authorised labour officer a reasonable deduction may be made in respect of injury or loss caused to the employer by the willful misconduct or neglect of the worker,” he cited.
The chairman observed that the labour union in state was not against the provision of palliatives to the poor to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown from the salaries of civil servants in the state.
“But I wish to state that the union ought to be carried along, and such deductions or contributions should be made voluntarily not compulsorily.
“As a responsible working group, which is conscious of the predicament of the average citizens of Kaduna state, we are disposed to committing much higher for the well-being of the less privileged if the need be and if proper process is followed.
“In view of the above, labour in Kaduna state calls on the Kaduna state government to stop the 25 per cent deductions henceforth, and should return the 25 per cent deductions from salaries of the workers.
“Failure to comply with the above will leave the labour in the state with no option but to explore other possible avenues within the purview of the law,” Sulaiman said.
