There are strong indications that the planned December 1 strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress may suffer a setback following the declaration by some state chapters of the union that they will not be part of the proposed industrial action......Read The Full Article>>.....Read The Full Article>>
President Bola Tinubu had in July approved a new minimum wage of N70,000 for Nigerian workers, including civil servants, and pledged to review the wage every three years.
Many states agreed to pay above the N70,000 minimum wage, with Lagos and Rivers states offering the highest pay of N85,000.
However, 14 states and the Federal Capital Territory have yet to begin the implementation of the new minimum wage.
Some of the affected states include Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Nasarawa, Kaduna, and Katsina.
Others are Oyo, Cross River, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, Enugu states, and the FCT.
But less than 24 hours to the planned strike, some state chapters of the NLC withdrew and distanced themselves from the industrial action.
Imo
In Imo State, the NLC Chairman, Uche Chigaemezu, said on Saturday that there was no plan to embark on any strike.
Speaking in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, Chigaemezu said, “We cannot think of embarking on any strike because we have reached an agreement with the state government led by Governor Hope Uzodimma.
“He has shown commitment to the payment of N70,000 minimum wage to Imo workers. We have communicated our position to the national body, and they are aware of the decision of the government to pay the minimum wage soon.”
A civil servant, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that there was no plan to embark on strike in the state.
Sokoto
In Sokoto State, following the approval of N70,000 minimum wage for state workers by Governor Ahmed Aliyu, the NLC opted out of the planned national strike of the union.
Recall that the state governor, while presenting the 2025 appropriation bill to the state House of Assembly on Friday, announced that his administration was ready to adopt N70,000 as the new minimum wage.
The governor, however, disclosed that the implementation of the new wage would commence in January 2025.
Speaking with our correspondent on the next line of action, the secretary of the NLC in the state, on Saturday, said the union had withdrawn from the proposed strike action.
He said, “We are not joining the strike action; representatives of the labour union and the state government have signed a memorandum of understanding on the implementation of the new minimum wage.”
Oyo
Similarly, organised labour in Oyo State dissociated itself from the strike.
The NLC state chairman and his Trade Union Congress counterpart, Kayode Martins and Bosun Olabiyi, respectively, in separate interviews with Sunday PUNCH in Ibadan, the state capital, said labour would not participate in the strike.
Martins said, “We have liaised with the national secretariat, and we let them realise the stage we are. Already, we have Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for the conclusion of everything.
“We wrote in our press release that we have a good rapport with the government.”
In his submission, Olabiyi said, “We are dissociating ourselves totally from the strike in the state. We have an understanding with the state government; we are not going on strike because everything is fine in this state.”
Katsina
The NLC Chairman in Katsina State, Hussaini Danduna, was also part of the withdrawal spree, saying workers in the state would not join the planned December 1st industrial action.
He said, “We have signed an agreement with the Katsina State Government, and based on this, we are not going to join the strike action declared by the national executive council of our union.”
Also, the TUC Chairman, Katsina State chapter, Mukhtar Abdu-Ruma, said workers would not join the action following the agreement reached with the state government on Saturday.
“The new minimum wage will be implemented in December, and we have agreed on the minimum wage and consequential adjustment,” he stated.
Akwa Ibom
Meanwhile, the TUC Chairman in Akwa Ibom State, Dominic Abang, said public civil servants would not participate in the planned industrial action by the NLC over the non-implementation of the new minimum wage.
Though the state NLC Chairman, Sunny James, could not be reached on the phone, Abang told one of our correspondents in Uyo, the state capital, that the TUC had gone far at the committee level, hence there was no need to join the strike.
Kaduna, Nasarawa, Zamfara, FCT confirm participation
The Kaduna State chapter of the NLC on Saturday confirmed its participation in the planned nationwide strike scheduled for December 1, 2024.
The Chairman of the Kaduna State NLC, Ayuba Suleiman, confirmed the state’s participation to Sunday PUNCH on Saturday.
When asked if the NLC was prepared to embark on the nationwide strike, Suleiman replied, “Yes, we are set for the strike.”
Similarly, the Nasarawa State chapter of the NLC declared its readiness to comply with the nationwide strike order.
The state NLC Chairman, Ismaila Okoh, said a notice of strike had been issued to all its members to drive home their demands on the implementation of the new national minimum wage.
Also, the FCT council of the NLC directed workers in the six area councils of the FCT to embark on an indefinite strike on December 1 until further directives were issued.
This was contained in a letter obtained by our correspondent, which was signed by the Chairman of the FCT Council of the NLC, Stephen Knabayi.
In his letter, organised labour in the territory faulted the failure of the area council chairmen to respond to the demand for the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage, despite receiving a communiqué of the National Executive Council of the NLC.
He added that the non-implementation of the minimum wage was a “gross violation of the law” and represented total disregard for the welfare of workers in the area councils.
The FCT Council Chairman said the State Administrative Council resolved to comply with the national directive, noting also the delay in paying workers’ entitlements in the FCT, including the outstanding arrears of primary school teachers in the respective area councils.
Speaking to Sunday PUNCH, the Zamfara State NLC Secretary, Ahmed Abubakar, said workers in the state had yet to receive the new minimum wage, and as such had no alternative but to join the strike.
He 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.”
Abubakar, however, explained that the union would continue to dialogue with the state government on the issue.
Abia indifferent
In Abia, the state chapter the NLC has yet to decide whether to join the strike.
All efforts to confirm the Abia NLC’s position on the matter from the state Chairman, Ogbonnaya Okoro, proved abortive as several calls and messages to him remained unanswered.
When contacted, the state Secretary of the NLC, Emma Alozie, said, “I wouldn’t know yet. We have been engaging the government on the new minimum wage.”
NLC dismisses excuses
However, the NLC has dismissed the excuses given by some state chapters not to embark on the strike as directed by the national leadership of the union, emphasising that the welfare of workers must take precedence.
Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the NLC National Treasurer, Akeem Ambali, said labour had mobilised its affiliate unions across the country and directed their leadership to prepare their members for industrial action in states yet to implement the new minimum wage.
Ambali also berated states that had only made verbal commitments without formal agreements or implementation, adding that such states would not be spared from the industrial action.
He said, “Labour will embark on strike by midnight of the 30th of this month (November); we have mobilsed for that. We have directed the leadership of all affiliates to mobilise their members for the strike.
“Even states that only made pronouncements without signing an agreement with labour and have yet to implement the new minimum wage will also experience the strike because we know some of them only made statements.
“They never paid the new minimum wage. Making a pronouncement without negotiation is not known to labour law; even making a pronouncement without cash backing is not acceptable to labour.
“Those who have only made empty promises and those who are saying they will start paying by January 2025 will incur the wrath of labour. This is not acceptable to us. There will be a strike in these states by 30th midnight.
“We are very serious about this. We have had all the organs meeting, and the issue has been decided; there is no going back.”
The NLC’s Head of Protocol and Public Relations, Benson Upah, said no amount of persuasion or partial compliance would prevent the industrial action, insisting that only full implementation would avert the looming strike.
Jigawa faces delay, Zamfara, Cross River offer promise
Earlier, Sunday PUNCH observed that workers in Jigawa State would have to wait till December before receiving the N70,000 minimum wage.
Although the state Governor, Umar Namadi, had approved N70,000 as the new minimum wage for civil servants in the state, Sunday PUNCH gathered that implementation would be delayed till December.
Namadi pleaded with labour leaders to support his policies aimed at alleviating the suffering of civil servants and the public.
Meanwhile, Zamfara and Cross River states have yet to reach an agreement with labour on the new minimum wage as the two governments are reportedly still in the negotiation phase with labour unions.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Zamfara Governor on Media and Communication, Mustafa Kaura, told Sunday PUNCH that the state government would implement the new wage as soon as negotiations were concluded with the labour leaders.
“The state government has already set up a committee to work out modalities for the implementation of the new minimum wage of N70,000.
“The committee has gone far in its assignment, and I am telling you that, as soon as the committee finishes its assignment, Governor Lawal will surely implement the new wage,” Kaura said.
Also, the Cross River State Government pledged to pay the new minimum wage as soon as labour reached an agreement with the government.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nsa Gill, said, “The state government has a negotiating team, and they are at work.
“Though they have yet to reach an agreement, the government is ready to pay the N70,000 new minimum wage if not beyond.”
