NMW: Nationwide strike imminent in January as NLC gives Govs. Dec 31 deadline
For industrial peace and harmony to reign from January 1, 2020, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Thursday gave all the 36 states governor till December 31, 2019 to round up negotiations and payment of the National Minimum Wage (NMW).
A communiqué issued at the end of its meeting with state council chairmen on the implementation of the NMW showed that there were currently three implementation categories in which all states fell into.
The White Paper jointly signed by the NLC President; Dr Ayuba Wabba, NLC General Secretary; Emmanuel Ugboaja and Abdulrafiu Adeniji; National Chairperson, Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Union Side), noted that Kaduna, Kebbi, Lagos and Adamawa have already commenced the implementation and payment of the new minimum wage, while Jigawa had concluded negotiations but yet to start implementation.
The Communiqué further noted that Borno, Abia, Kano, Bayelsa, Sokoto, Niger, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Ondo, Ebonyi, Katsina, and Zamfara States, have constituted a negotiating committee between their state government and Labour, following consequential adjustments of salaries.
“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 Organised Labour in the states comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, and the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Union Side) would work in harmony to ensure that all workers enjoy the full benefit of the new National Minimum Wage.
Aside other recommendations, organized labour advised all state chairmen to immediately convoke 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 communiqué made it clear that “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, organised labour would not guarantee industrial harmony in such states,” NLC warned.
