Despite assurances from some state governments about progress on the N70,000 national minimum wage, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has initiated a nationwide industrial action to protest non-compliance with the new wage structure.
Amba Titus Audu, the Chairman of the NLC’s 2024 National Minimum Wage Implementation Committee, confirmed the strike in an interview with The Guardian.
He emphasized that the directive for the strike remained firm, urging states that have not yet implemented the new wage or reached a concrete agreement to begin industrial action immediately.
Audu challenged states claiming compliance to provide proof of payment, asserting that verbal commitments and agreements without action were inadequate.
Akeem Ambali, the NLC National Treasurer, expressed frustration with states making promises without formal agreements or financial provisions.
He warned that these states would face the full force of the strike if they failed to act.
“Empty promises and plans to begin payments in January 2025 are unacceptable,” Ambali stated, stressing that affiliate unions had been mobilized nationwide to ensure that no state would be allowed to escape accountability.
Benson Upah, the NLC’s Head of Protocol and Public Relations, reiterated that only full implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage would prevent the strike.
“Partial compliance or persuasion will not deter us. The minimum wage must be fully implemented,” Upah declared.
The strike follows a resolution from the NLC’s National Executive Council (NEC) and Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting held in Port Harcourt on November 8, 2024.
The NLC issued a directive to its state councils, urging immediate industrial action in states that had not implemented the new wage or reached an agreement to do so.
The NLC highlighted that several states, including Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Oyo, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara, had yet to adopt the minimum wage, with workers in those states still receiving the old wage rates.
The NLC has warned that failure to comply would result in severe consequences for these states.
Reports suggest that some states have made announcements or promises regarding the minimum wage but have failed to implement them.
For example, Cross River announced the N70,000 minimum wage but has not initiated payment or negotiations, while Enugu declared an N80,000 minimum wage without agreeing on the necessary adjustments.
In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the NLC chapter directed workers across the six area councils to begin an indefinite strike due to non-compliance with the N70,000 minimum wage directive.
The FCT’s council chairman, Knabanyi Idalo, emphasized that the strike was in line with the NLC’s November 8 directive and would continue until full implementation was achieved.
Meanwhile, in Ebonyi State, the NLC has begun a one-week warning strike to protest the state’s alleged improper implementation of the new wage.
The state government had announced a N75,000 minimum wage for workers, but the NLC rejected it, stating that the wage increase lacked due process, including necessary consequential adjustments.
In Nasarawa State, the NLC has mobilized workers for a strike due to the government’s failure to sign a formal agreement on the N70,500 minimum wage, despite verbal assurances.
NLC Chairman Ismaila Okoh explained that the government had not finalized the payment terms, leaving workers frustrated and determined to push for full implementation.
Labour unions in Cross River also announced plans to start an indefinite strike over the state government’s failure to implement the new minimum wage.
Gregory Ulayi, the NLC chairman in the state, reiterated that unless the government took immediate action, the unions would proceed with industrial action.
In contrast, the NLC in Oyo State clarified that it would not join the nationwide strike, stating that the Oyo State government had already addressed the minimum wage issue satisfactorily.
TUC Oyo Chairman Bosun Olabiyi expressed confidence in the state government’s commitment to the new wage.
Similarly, the NLC in Abia State confirmed that workers would not participate in the strike, as the state government had already implemented the N70,000 minimum wage since October 2024.
Abia NLC Chairman, Ogbonnaya Okoro assured that workers’ grievances regarding salary adjustments were being addressed, and there were no grounds for industrial action.
The NLC in Ondo State also announced that it would not participate in the strike, as the state government had completed arrangements to pay the new minimum wage starting with November 2024 salaries.
However, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani refuted the NLC’s claims that the state had not implemented the minimum wage.
A statement from the governor’s office confirmed that the lowest-paid civil servant in Kaduna received N72,000 in November, in line with the federal minimum wage law.
The state government urged the NLC to be patient regarding the implementation of consequential adjustments.
