Gusau — Zamfara State chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has given the state government two weeks within which to commence payment of N18,000 minimum wage or face industrial action.

A statement jointly signed, yesterday, by the state Chairman of NLC, Comrade Abdullahi Modomawa and Secretary, Isiyaku Tsafe, said the ultimatum followed the inability of the government to meet up with the demand of organised labour on the issue of the new salary scheme.

The workers, however, urged the public to make adequate provisions for food and other items ahead of the industrial action.

Governor Abdulaziz Yari had, in his address during the May Day workers' rally, described the clamour for the payment the new minimum of wage as a mirage, as the money involved was too much for the population of civil servants which constitute a negligible percentage of the state's population.

He said: "We are, therefore, going to strike a balance between meeting the demands of labour and addressing our numerous develop-ment challenges."