THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says the out-going year 2018 remains one of the most traumatic years for Nigerian workers following the failure of the government to enact and implement the new national minimum wage of N30, 000.

NLC President, Ayuba Wabba stated this in a New Year Goodwill message sent to Nigerian workers Monday evening.

The failure of the government to enact a law to back the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage he said was in spite of the unimpeachable tripartite process leading to the agreement by the social partners on the new national minimum wage.

In November, the Committee on the review of the national minimum wage submitted its report to President Muhammadu Buhari, recommending that the sum of N30,000 be adopted as the new national minimum wage.

But the NLC President lamented that it was unfortunate that the Federal Government was yet to transmit to the National Assembly an executive bill for the enactment of N30, 000 as the new national minimum wage.

“Government’s dilly-dallying on the issue has strained Government -Labour relations with a potential for a major national strike which could just be days away,” Wabba said.

“Accordingly, we would use this opportunity to appeal to the Government to do the needful by urgently transmitting the bill on the new national minimum wage to the National Assembly.”

The NLC President urged workers to fully mobilize for a prolonged national strike and enforce their right.

The strike action, he said, becomes the inevitable last option for workers while calling for the understanding and support of all Nigerians and businesses.

He also assured workers that their labour, patience and diligence would not be in vain stressing that his leadership remains committed to giving all that it takes to ensure that they get just and fair wages due to them in a decent work environment appropriate to their well-being.

“This leadership is similarly committed to ensuring there is social protection for workers.”

On the no work, no payment rule invoked by the government against striking workers, Wabba said his leadership of NLC would continue to its campaign Against selective enforcement of “No Work… No Pay” policy of the government

“This policy actually arises from a clear violation of Collective Bargaining Agreement by the same government that seeks to use the policy against workers.

“The fact is that the obnoxious policy of “No Work… No Pay” is derived from Decree 54 of 1977 which even military regimes that promulgated it refrained from deploying against workers. It is unfortunate that such cruel policy is being used against workers by a democratic government.”

He insisted that there is no place in modern industrial relations for workers to be owed arrears of salaries.

Speaking on the forthcoming 2019 elections, Wabba remarked that the new year presents great opportunities for workers, pensioners, civil society allies and their friends and families to put their numbers to good use by voting out not on the basis of tribe or religion but purely on policy of any candidate who cannot serve their interest.