New Minimum Wage: 4 States Where Strike May Begin Today
- The Nigeria Labour Congress directed all workers in states where implementation of the new national minimum wage has not kicked off to begin an indefinite strike from Sunday, December 1
- Labour leaders in at least four states explained that this was in adherence to a communique by the NLC National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on November 8 in Port Harcourt, Rivers state
- According to the organised labour, failure to implement the new national minimum wage is a gross violation of the law and a total disregard for the welfare and well-being of workers in Nigeria
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FCT, Abuja - Workers in Nasarawa, Zamfara, Ebonyi, Kaduna states, and the federal capital territory (FCT) may start strike today, Monday, December 2.
As reported by The Punch, this follows the alleged failure of their state authorities to negotiate the payment of the N70,000 new minimum wage.
Source: Twitter
Though the implementation panels set up by the concerned states have been meeting with labour leaders in a bid to ward off the strike action, the various state chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have expressed their readiness to embark on a strike from today. December 2.
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The Minimum Wage Act 2024 stipulates N70,000 for the least-paid worker.
Minimum wage: Nasarawa workers’s grouse
The grouse of workers on the payroll of the Nasarawa state government is the lack of written agreement on the N70,500 the state agreed to pay.
The organised labour revealed that it is mobilising its members for an indefinite strike after the state government's delay in implementing the new minimum wage.
Minimum wage: Zamfara to join strike
Also, the Zamfara state NLC secretary, Ahmed Abubakar, stated that workers in the state had yet to receive the new minimum wage, and as such had no alternative but to join the strike.
Abubakar said:
“We are going to join the strike as directed by the national body of our great union to express our anger over the non-payment of the new minimum wage.”
Minimum wage: Ebonyi workers reject govt's proposal
In Ebonyi, where the government proposed N74,000, workers rejected it, saying it was a unilateral decision made without consultation.
The state NLC chairman, Ogugua Egwu, disclosed this in Abakaliki, stating that while the union appreciates the existing working relationship with the administration of Governor Francis Nwifuru, it rejects the state government’s 'unilateral wage award'.
Minimum wage: Kaduna NLC confirms planned strike
To avert a shutdown, the Kaduna state government said it had commenced the implementation of the new national minimum wage, with the least-paid worker in the state receiving N72,000 as gross salary in November.
Despite the positive development, the state chapter of the NLC confirmed its planned strike.
The state’s chairman of the NLC, Ayuba Suleiman, said the workers would embark on a strike as directed by the association's national leadership.
Minimum wage strike: 'No going back' - FCT
In FCT, workers in the area councils complained that there is no agreement to pay although FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, announced N70,000 as minimum wage.
The president of the NLC in the FCT, Stephen Knabayi, said there is no going back on the ongoing strike by the workers of the six area councils over the minimum wage.
States where strike may begin today:
- Nasarawa.
- Zamfara.
- Ebonyi.
- Kaduna.
Workers receive new minimum wage in Rivers
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that just over a month after approving a new minimum wage, the Rivers state government commenced implementing the N85,000 it promised.
Public school teachers and other state workers disclosed that they had received their November salary alert, which included the new wage amount. Chukwuma Osunna, the chairman of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, Rivers state chapter, confirmed the payment of the new salary structure in an interview.
Proofread by Kola Muhammed, journalist and copyeditor at Legit.ng
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