Labour Union Issues 2-Week Ultimatum to Zamfara Govt Over ₦70,000 M’Wage

The Zamfara State chapter of the Labour Union has issued a two-week ultimatum to the state government, demanding the immediate implementation of the ₦70,000 minimum wage. Speaking to reporters, the state chairman, Comrade Sani Halliru, declared that failure to comply by the end of November would result in an indefinite strike action.

Halliru emphasized that the union’s decision aligns with directives from the national Labour Union, reiterating their commitment to securing fair pay for workers. He dismissed ongoing investigations of workers in the state as an excuse to delay payment, suggesting that such actions could indicate the government’s unwillingness to implement the new wage structure.

“The government of Zamfara State has not initiated any dialogue with us regarding the payment of the ₦70,000 minimum wage,” Halliru stated. “This lack of engagement leaves us no choice but to resort to industrial action if our demands are not met within the stipulated deadline.”

The chairman criticized Zamfara’s history of neglecting workers’ welfare, noting that the state lags behind others in implementing competitive salary structures. “Workers in other states enjoy better wages, while Zamfara’s workforce continues to suffer,” he lamented.

According to The Spectacles, the Zamfara State government recently received a ₦52.8 billion grant meant for workers’ salaries. However, only ₦11.5 billion was allocated for salary adjustments under the guise of implementing the ₦30,000 minimum wage.

In the history of the Nigerian civil service, only Zamfara State has implemented salary payments without proper scaling,” the report highlighted, underscoring the alleged discrepancies in wage payments.

The union insists that the government has sufficient resources to meet the new minimum wage requirement and views the continued delays as unacceptable. Workers across the state are now bracing for potential industrial action if the situation remains unresolved.

The Zamfara State government has yet to issue an official response to the union’s demands.