NLC gives govs Dec 31 deadline for new minimum wage implementation

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it will not “guarantee industrial peace and harmony in states which fail to conclude negotiations” on the N30,000 new national minimum wage by December 31.

This is contained in a communique jointly signed by Ayuba Wabba, NLC president; Emmanuel Ugboaja, NLC general secretary;  and Abdulrafiu Adeniji, national chairperson, Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Union Side), on  Thursday.

The communique, which was issued at the end of its meeting with state council chairmen, categorised states into three, based on their level of implementation of the national minimum wage.

According to the union, the first category are states that have commenced the implementation and payment of the new minimum wage.

These are Kaduna, Kebbi, Lagos and Adamawa. It noted that Jigawa had concluded negotiations but is yet to make its first payment to workers.

The second category includes those states that have constituted a negotiating committee between their state government and labour union, following consequential adjustments of salaries.

States in the category are Borno, Abia, Kano, Bayelsa, Sokoto, Niger, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Ondo, Ebonyi, Katsina, and Zamfara.

The third category, according to the communique, includes states that are yet to put structures in place for negotiation to commence.

“States which have not put in place a Negotiating Committee between the State Government and Labour on the consequential adjustment of salaries, include Bauchi, Yobe, Rivers, Benue, Gombe, Kwara, Imo, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo, Anambra, Taraba, Cross River, Ogun, Enugu, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kogi, and Delta States,” the communique read.

The union said the states that are yet to commence negotiation might experience “industrial disharmony from January if the governors refuse to do the needful”.

It urged state chairmen to call an emergency state executive council meeting and state congress of all workers to brief them of the outcome of the stakeholders’ meeting on the new national minimum wage implementation.

The organised labour had earlier asked state house of assemblies to impeach governors who fail to pay the new minimum wage.