Labour leaders in Enugu State have responded to media reports suggesting that the state had not implemented the new minimum wage, affirming that the N80,000 minimum wage, which exceeds the national N70,000 rate, was paid to workers starting in November 2024.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council (JNC) clarified that while the N80,000 minimum wage was paid, there were some discrepancies related to the consequential adjustments tied to its implementation.
They assured the public that these concerns had already been communicated to Governor Peter Mbah and expressed confidence that the issues would be addressed.
The statement, signed by Comrade Fabian Nwigbo (NLC), Comrade Ben Asogwa (TUC), and Comrade Ezekiel Omeh (JNC), explained, “The Organized Labour in Enugu State wishes to clarify recent media reports that have wrongly suggested that Enugu is among the states that have not yet paid the national minimum wage. We confirm that the N80,000 minimum wage was paid in the November 2024 salary.”
However, the leaders noted that the payment did not fully reflect the necessary adjustments under the new wage structure.
They emphasized that they had already brought these discrepancies to the governor’s attention and were confident that they would be resolved, given the governor’s past commitment to workers’ welfare.
The statement further praised the governor for his ongoing efforts, including the approval of a N25,000 wage award for workers from December 2023 to October 2024, before the new minimum wage was implemented.
They also acknowledged the governor’s inclusion of local government workers in the N80,000 minimum wage and his approval of outstanding entitlements, including a N1.9 billion leave allowance for public primary school teachers and salary arrears for staff at the Enugu State College of Education Technical.
Despite the issues with the wage implementation, the labour leaders stressed that there were no plans for a strike, noting that they remained confident in the governor’s dedication to resolving the outstanding matters.
“We are not on strike, nor do we foresee any in the near future, as there is no need for such action at this point,” the statement concluded.
