Minimum wage: Labour prepares to down tools by December 31

The Nigeria Labour Congress has said that industrial peace and harmony cannot be guaranteed if state governors refuse to conclude their negotiations by 31st December 2019.

This was contained in a communique signed by NLC president comrade Ayuba Wabba and the General secretary comrade Emmanuel Ugbuaja, Abdulrafiu Adeniji, the national Chairperson Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Union Side), issued at the end of the one day stakeholders meeting held in Abuja on the implementation of the new national minimum wage, which was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on 18 April 2019.

The communique said that there were three implementation categories in which all states fell into.

According to the communique, Kaduna, Kebbi, Lagos, and Adamawa commenced implementation and payment of the new national minimum wage, but Jigawa had concluded negotiations and yet to commence payment.

The second scenario includes states like Borno, Abia, Kano, Bayelsa, Sokoto, Niger, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Ondo, Ebonyi, Katsina and Zamfara states had constituted a negotiating committee on the consequential adjustments for workers’ salaries.

Also, the communique noted that there were states that are yet to set up a negotiating committee between labour and state government, they include Bauchi, Yobe, Rivers, Benue, Gombe, Kwara, Imo, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo, Anambra, Taraba, Cross River, Ogun, Enugu, Nassarawa, Plateau, Kogi and Delta states.

The Organised Labour however, lauded the federal government on it’s directives to Ministries, Departments, Agencies to pay minimum wage arrears before 31 December 2019.

To this end, Labour urged states on the discussion table (Category 2) to expedite discussions to conclude the negotiations on or before the 31st of December 2019; while states which have not commenced discussion should quickly constitute a Negotiating Committee and expeditiously conclude discussions on salary adjustment consequent on the new national minimum wage on or before 31st December, 2019.

”In the event that any state fails to comply with these resolutions on or before 31st December, 2019, organized labour would not guarantee industrial harmony in such states.”