Water board workers in Kano threaten strike over non-implementation of new minimum wage

Staffers of the Kano State Water Board have threatened to embark on strike following the non-implementation of the new national minimum wage by their management.

Speaking to the media, Chairman of the workers’ union, Najib Abdulsalam Sule, explained that their management had been struggling with the payment of salaries due to the dilapidated state of equipment at various water treatment and distribution plants in the state.

He stated, “It is only when the Board sells water to the public and generates revenue that it can pay salaries,” while lamenting that the Board had been unable to sell water due to the fact that most of the state’s water treatment plants were partially or totally down.

He noted, “Since April this year, when the issue of the new national minimum wage became serious, we wrote to the management about three times on this issue, and as I am speaking to people now, no response.”

“Up till today, none of our staff has received their salary for the month because the Board said it would pay us based on the old wage structure, and all our staff except two have rejected it,” the union chairman added.

“We have complained to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other relevant bodies, notifying them that we would start the indefinite strike today, Thursday, 5th December 2024, but the NLC asked for a three-day ultimatum, within which if the Board failed to comply, we would automatically go on strike,” he said.

He appealed to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to intervene and cause the management of the Board to implement the new minimum wage, which is now a law in the country.

The Kano State Government has since commenced the implementation of the new minimum wage.