AS the deadline given to states to implement the new N70,000 minimum wage expired on Sunday, the organized has said that any state council that fails to comply with the directives will be sanctioned.
This is as the national President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, has said that there is no planned national strike today rather all the actions would take place in state Councils that defaulted.
It would be recalled that the NLC in a letter dated November 29, 2024 and addressed to all presidents and General Secretaries of all the NLC affiliates, had said that following the resolution by its Central Working Committee in Kano, the workers in the non compliant states were required to proceed on strike to compel the government to implement the new minimum wage law.
The letter signed by NLC General Secretary, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja said: “Recall that NEC of 8th November, 2024 in Port Harcourt directed that industrial action to compel the implementation of the new national minimum wage should commence in any state that has not complied by the end of November, 2024.”
It directed public servants in the affected 14 states and Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, to commence industrial action from Monday, December 2 for failing to comply with the N70,000 new minimum wage.
The affected stateswere : Abia, AkwaIbom, Cross River, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, FCT, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Oyo, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara.
However, the NLC President at a Media Parley organized by the Labour Correspondents Association of Nigeria, LACAN, had hinted that some Council Chairman in collaboration with some defaulting governors were working behind the scene to sabotage the efforts to ensure that all states fully implement payment of the new minimum wage.
Comrade Ajaero also noted that certain states have made progress, with some meeting their obligations by the deadline.
However, he expressed concerns in others, especially Zamfara, because the government had allegedly failed to set up a committee to address the matter.
He said, “It’s a policy pronouncement. States know what they are supposed to do by a specific date. If they fail, actions will follow.
“We cannot call for a nationwide strike where some states have already complied. Instead, we are collating reports from all states to determine the next steps.
“There are peculiarities in each state; in some, the entire executive is ready to act, but the leadership is reluctant due to its closeness to the government. In others, workers need assistance to address unique challenges.
“We have established a national committee to review these peculiarities and provide the necessary support.”
The congress further warned that any attempts by state governments to ignore the directive would be met with decisive action, potentially leading to strikes in non-compliant states.
Citing an example of Zamfara state which only started payment of N30,000 minimum wage after the negotiations on the new minimum wage of N70, 000 was concluded, Ajaero said the reduction in the duration of minimum wage review would further help to address such attitudes by some states governments.
He said: “The next three years, some states will not pay minimum wage. I give you an example with one state, Zamfara State. It was after we had negotiated the N70,000 minimum wage that they started paying N30,000. They were paying N18,000 for the five-year duration of the N30,000 minimum wage.
“That was one of the reasons why we had to reduce the minimum wage review to three years. In the next five years, this N70,000 will not be able to buy tissue paper so I think there is a need for constant review of it to move with the economic realities of the moment.”
Commenting on the December 1 minimum deadline and strike notice to states yet to implement the new minimum wage, Ajaero clarified that although the situation was closely being analysed given the peculiarities of states including the different salary payment schedules, the action by labour would assume a state-by-state approach.
“We have to look at them one by one, take a state-by-state approach It’s not a general strike, It’s not a general issue.
“You can’t go and strike in states where they have complied. We’ll have a committee that is getting daily report on this and to advise them.
So It’s not like a strike called by the NLC at the national that you see everybody go on strike, No.”
When contacted on Sunday for an update on the directives to some state Councils that the government is in default and whether the strike would hold, the NLC President said: “There is no national strike, you should get updates from states, don’t expect anybody to sit from Abuja and be telling you what’s happening in Katsina or any other states, no.
“We gave them directives, some of them even as at today (yesterday), are making last minutes efforts to give a semblance that they have complied or they are complying, some are trying to comply and all that. So these issues will come from the states and not from me.
“I have a committee working, I can’t be talking when they are carrying out their action, when they finish, they will send a report to me, so I can’t be evaluating them now.”
On the allegation that some leaders of State Councils, may Sabotage the directives, Ajaero said, “Sabotage is sabotage anywhere. Organisations have their rules. In all the organisations that I know, sabotage is treated based on the rules of that organisation if established.”
Also speaking on the number of State Councils in default at the expiration of the deadline, the head of information and public affairs of the NLC, Comrade
Benson Upah, said it would be difficult to know the number because some states had made last minutes efforts to beat the deadline.
He said, “It will be difficult to know the number of states in default now because some states scramble to implement before the deadline.”
On the issue of sabotage by some State Council Chairmen, he said, “All I know is that state Councils have been directed to implement this decision and they are bound to do so. Don’t forget that they are the direct beneficiaries of this decision.
“Any state Council found defaulting, there will be consequences because we are not out play.”
Asked what should be consequences, he simply said, “just wait any state council that fails to comply, you will hear.”
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