THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed workers in states where the N70,000 new minimum wage is not being fully implemented to commence strike beginning from December 1, 2024.
This was disclosed in a statement sent to the media on Sunday, November 10, by its President, Joe Ajaero, at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
According to the NLC, the NEC expressed extreme annoyance at the continued postponement and outright denial of the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act by several state governments.
The labour movement called certain governors’ decision to keep denying workers their due salaries in the face of growing economic hardship an act of betrayal.
The NLC also issued a warning that it would not tolerate a situation in which workers in Rivers State were subjected to the current political crisis by the withholding of funds intended to pay their salaries and other benefits.
The union described the situation as a blatant disregard for the law and the lives of millions of Nigerian workers who are being exploited by the very leaders who swore to protect them.
In addition, in order to educate workers and citizens about the need to fight this attack on their rights and dignity, the NEC has decided to establish the National Minimum Wage Implementation Committee, which will, among other things, start a nationwide assessment, mobilisation, and sensitisation campaign.
“Furthermore, the NLC shall initiate a series of industrial actions in all non-compliant states and shall not relent until the minimum wage is fully implemented across Nigeria.
“To this end, all state councils where the National Minimum Wage has not been fully implemented by the last day of November 2024 have been directed to proceed on strike beginning from the 1st day of December 2024,” the union stated.
The ICIR reported that states like Kebbi, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, and Kano states joined the growing list of Nigerian states ready to implement the new minimum wage for workers.
For Ogun, Gombe, and Ondo, the state governments have approved N77,000, N71,451.15, and N73,000 for their workers, respectively.
This was as Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo approved the N72,500 minimum wage for the state’s civil servants.
Anambra and Borno have indicated their intention to begin paying the new minimum wage in October.
Adamawa, Ebonyi, Katsina, Kwara, and Delta have also announced the approval of the new monthly minimum wage of N70,000. Similarly, Oyo, Osun, and Benue State have expressed readiness to adopt the new minimum wage.
This development followed President Bola Tinubu’s signing of the new minimum wage bill into law in July, ending months of deliberations between government representatives, labour unions, and the private sector.
The President assented to the bill seeking N70,000 for workers on Monday, July 29, at the State House in Abuja, barely a week after the National Assembly passed it.
The revised minimum wage aimed at alleviating hardship faced by public sector employees, following fuel subsidy removal and other economic reforms by Tinubu’s government that have made life unbearable for most citizens.
The Nigerian governors had opposed the N60,000 minimum wage initially proposed by the federal government.
A reporter with the ICIR
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