Kwara Industrial Action: We can’t accede to Labour’s demands – Governor Abdulrasaq,

Governor Abdulraman Abdulrasaq of Kwara State says his government cannot accede to the demands of the labour based on the economic realities of the State.

The Governor who stated that his government is open to negotiations said, if labour’s demands are met the state will not be able to invest infrastructure.

Labour unions in Kwara State had on Tuesday embarked on an indefinite strike and vowed to suspend it only when the government agrees to pay N30,000 minimum wage to all category of workers at the State and Local Government levels.

But the Governor is insisting that the State is faced with a huge infrastructural deficit and cannot spend 100% of its earnings on paying salaries.

“Our reality is that if we accede to the demands of the labour as they are, we will not be able to do any other thing other than paying workers”.

“We have a huge infrastructural deficit and we cannot spend 100% of our earnings on paying salaries. Our schools, like the Banni Community Secondary School which I visited today, have collapsed; the basic health facilities need to be fixed; and we need to do much more for the rest of the population too”.

“There is need for proper investment in our schools, roads, health and other infrastructure, which we are fixing gradually.

“Of course, we want to pay the minimum wage. Where we disagree with the labour is consequential adjustment that they are asking for”.

“We can only pay the scale that is affordable so that we can also do other things for the rest of the population who also voted for us. We can’t develop as a state with the labour’s request”.

According to the Governor, the local governments currently earn N2.6 billion a month and the salaries are almost exactly what they received with other expenses added.

“The unions want an increase of that to N3bn. That is N400m per month increase; from where will the local governments get that? Governor Absulrasaq asked.

Kwara Industrial Action: We can’t accede to Labour’s demands – Governor Abdulrasaq,

Governor Abdulraman Abdulrasaq of Kwara State says his government cannot accede to the demands of the labour based on the economic realities of the State.

The Governor who stated that his government is open to negotiations said, if labour’s demands are met the state will not be able to invest infrastructure.

Labour unions in Kwara State had on Tuesday embarked on an indefinite strike and vowed to suspend it only when the government agrees to pay N30,000 minimum wage to all category of workers at the State and Local Government levels.

But the Governor is insisting that the State is faced with a huge infrastructural deficit and cannot spend 100% of its earnings on paying salaries.

“Our reality is that if we accede to the demands of the labour as they are, we will not be able to do any other thing other than paying workers”.

“We have a huge infrastructural deficit and we cannot spend 100% of our earnings on paying salaries. Our schools, like the Banni Community Secondary School which I visited today, have collapsed; the basic health facilities need to be fixed; and we need to do much more for the rest of the population too”.

“There is need for proper investment in our schools, roads, health and other infrastructure, which we are fixing gradually.

“Of course, we want to pay the minimum wage. Where we disagree with the labour is consequential adjustment that they are asking for”.

“We can only pay the scale that is affordable so that we can also do other things for the rest of the population who also voted for us. We can’t develop as a state with the labour’s request”.

According to the Governor, the local governments currently earn N2.6 billion a month and the salaries are almost exactly what they received with other expenses added.

“The unions want an increase of that to N3bn. That is N400m per month increase; from where will the local governments get that? Governor Absulrasaq asked.