NLC writes El-Rufai over withheld check-off dues

The Nigeria Labour Congress has written to the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, imploring him to instruct the state Commissioner for Local Government Affairs to release the check-off dues of the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees.

The letter, dated November 20, 2019, and signed by the president of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, said the commissioner had withheld the dues for six months as of the time the letter was delivered.

The union urged the governor to stop the commissioner from interfering with the activities of NULGE with regards to the forthcoming NULGE Kaduna State Delegates Conference.

The letter read partly, “Your Excellency, the attitude and conduct of the Kaduna State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs is unbecoming of the office that he occupies and already constitutes an embarrassment to the Kaduna State Government.

“We request that Your Excellency direct the commissioner to cease from interfering with the activities of NULGE, especially with regards to the forthcoming NULGE Kaduna Delegates Conference.”

The NLC also accused the commissioner of making attempts to impose his brother as the chairman of NULGE in the state.

The union described the commissioner’s action as an attempt to reverse the progress being made to restore good relationship between the state government and the NLC, saying that the action had also worsened the plight of workers in the state.

It, however, commended the state government for the implementation and payment of the new minimum wage of N30,000.