•Otti meets union leaders as Abia debunks NLC claim of non-implementation
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja and Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki, Noah Ebije, Kaduna, Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the threat by Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, to sack striking workers.
Some state chapters of the NLC had begun a strike yesterday to demand the implementation of the N70,000 new minimum wage signed into law months ago.
The decision followed the alleged persistent delays by some state governments to adopt and implement the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act.
The strike is expected to affect workers in Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Oyo, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
These states have reportedly failed to adopt the new wage structure, leaving workers frustrated.
In Ebonyi, Governor Nwifuru threatened to sack any worker observing the one week industrial action.
The Chairman of the NLC in the state, Egwu Oguguo, had accused Nwifuru of unilaterally pronouncing a wage award of N75,000 to grade levels 1 and 2, and N40,000 for Grade Levels 3-16, which according to him, was averse to the traditional procedures of implementing minimum wage and declared one week warning strike which began on Sunday against it.
But, the governor, while addressing journalists in his office in Abakaliki, said he implemented the new minimum wage in line with the National Minimum Wage Law passed by the National Assembly and assented to by President Bola Tinubu.
He warned that he would replace any worker who observed the strike within 72 hours.
“I am paying you what is supposed to be paid. And according to the agreement and the constitution, I am not owing you. If you didn’t go to work within 72 hours, I will replace you. And I have called the chairman of the civil service commission. I have directed all the commissioners to go to their offices. All the agencies and departments of government must be in their offices, and record the people that come to work.
“And that is the people I will pay through table payment, by the number of days you attend to your duty in your office. If you don’t want to come to work, you will forget about the state government.”
But in a statement issued by its president, Joe Ajaero, NLC described the governor’s threat as irresponsible and unhelpful.
Ajaero criticised him for disregarding lawful labour practices, noting that the strike action followed failed negotiations and prior notices to the state government.
He directed all its affiliates, including those in the private sector, to join the strike immediately. He also called on striking workers to resist intimidation and maintain their resolve until the governor fulfills his obligation to pay the minimum wage.
Ajaero noted that further directives would be issued in the coming hours, signaling the union’s readiness to escalate its actions if the state government remains unyielding.
“We are dismayed by the statement credited to the Ebonyi State Governor, Mr Nwifuru that except the striking workers in the state over non-payment of the National Minimum Wage resume work immediately they should consider themselves sacked.
“We recall that the strike action was preceded by failed conversations and notices to the Governor on the need to implement the 2024 national minimum wage since it was signed into law several months ago.
“The law has provisions for enforcement by workers. Beside this, a strike action is a lawful/legimitate tool in the hands of aggrieved workers.
“In light of this, we consider the threats by the Governor as irresponsible and unhelpful. What a reasonable Governor acting reasonably ought to have done was to invite the labour leaders in the state for dialogue for a speedy resolution of the facts in issue. But he thinks he is God.
“On our part, we want the world to know that Governor Nwifuru is the first to draw blood in a matter of which he is completely guilty.
“We also want the world to know that the right of response is available to us in pursuance of a just cause. Accordingly, the National Secretariat of the Congress has directed all the affiliates including those in the private sector to immediately join in the strike action. It similarly urged the workers already on strike to not yield to the threats of the Governor. They are to sustain the momentum until the governor sees the need to not only behave properly but pay the minimum wage in compliance with the Law.
“In the coming hours, further directives will be given as we deem fit,” the statement read.
•Otti meets labour
Governor Alex Otti is expected to meet with all state chairmen and secretaries of the affiliate unions under the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ukoha Njoku Ukoha, said the meeting slated for 8.30am today would be held at the state secretariat, Umuahia.
Although no reason was given for the meeting, it is expected that the government and the organised labour would use it to straighten grey areas arising from the implementation of the new minimum wage, which began in the state in October.
Meanwhile, the state government has disputed the claim by the NLC that it is among the 14 states yet to implement the N70,000 new minimum wage.
The NLC had listed Abia as one of the states that are yet to start the implementation of the new minimum wage and threatened that workers in the state would join the strike over the non-compliance.
At a joint press conference with the state leadership of the organised labour at the Government House in Umuahia, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Caleb Ajagba, clarified that Abia State began implementing the new minimum wage in October.
He expressed surprise at the NLC’s inclusion of Abia among the defaulting states, even when the state was one of the first to pay workers the new minimum wage.
•Labour, govt disagree in Kaduna
Kaduna State government and the NLC have disagreed.
Chairman of the union, Ayuba Suleiman, said workers had yet to reach a concrete agreement with government on the implementation of the new minimum wage. He explained that although government had begun paying the new wage, it was not done according to the terms previously agreed upon by both parties hence workers decided to embark on strike following a directive from the national body of the NLC.
However, Governor Uba Sani stated that it was wrong for the NLC to claim government defaulted.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ibraheem Musa decried the decision of NLC to lump Kaduna State with others, describing it as grossly unfair because the least paid worker received N72,000 as gross salary in November.
•C’River approves N70,000
The Government of Cross River State has approved N70,000 as minimum wage effective December 1.
The approval was given in addition to the consequential adjustment across all cadres of the state workforce.
It was reported that signing of the agreement between the government and the labour was reached following a series of meetings that started on Thursday last week.
The TUC Chairman, Monday Ogbodum, while confirming the development, said the unions would hold a congress on Monday to decide the next line of action.
“It is true that we have reached and signed an agreement on the implementation of the new minimum wage with the government. This also includes the consequential adjustment.
“This agreement was reached, taking into consideration the peculiarity of the state,” he stated.