By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Labour Union leaders in the three remaining states yet to implement the new minimum wage of N 70,000 approved by the Federal Government for workers are threatening to embark on total strike if nothing is done by Monday, December 1, 2024.
Though talks with the representatives of the state governments are ongoing in these three states, Union leaders maintain that if the meeting led to a stalemate they would have no option but to resort to industrial action.
The three states yet to implement the new minimum wage are Cross River, Katsina and Zamfara, the remaining thirty three states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have approved the minimum wage with some even implementing amount higher than. what the FG set.
The Cross River State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Gregory Ulayi, said that the union would embark on an indefinite strike if the state government failed to implement the new minimum wage for the workers.
Ulayi said this while speaking to newsmen on Thursday. Recall that the workers in the state had embarked on a two-day warning strike earlier this week.
“If the government does not negotiate and do the needful, we will embark on a total strike because it is a directive across the country,” Ulayi said.
However, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Otu, Nsa Gill, said that the state government had set up a committee to negotiate with the labour leaders, as part of last-ditch efforts to prevent the looming strike on Monday.
He said that despite the nationwide deadline for the implementation of the minimum wage, the Otu-led government was working to ensure payment of a minimum wage of N70,000 or even above.
“The state government has a negotiating team and they are at work. Though, they are yet to reach an agreement as at today (Thursday). The government is ready to pay the N70,000 new minimum wage, if not beyond,” he stated.
“We recognise the fact that there is a national deadline from the labour union, which is slated for December 1, 2024, for all the states to pay the new minimum wage.
“We are trying to see how to build a stronger economic foundation that can make us pay a living wage to our civil servants. Until the team finishes the negotiation, the amount will not be announced. Right now, they are still on the negotiation table for an amicable resolution.”
Katsina State is also likely to face labour’s wrath after its failure to implement the compulsory new wage bill for the state workers.
Recall that last month, the Katsina State Government inaugurated a 15-member committee to guide the implementation of a new minimum wage of N70,000.
Deputy Governor Faruk Lawal, while inaugurating the committee, said the government was aware of the hardship being faced by civil servants in the state.
“You are all aware that His Excellency, the Governor, Mallam Dikko Umar Radda, has set up a committee to implement the N70,000 minimum wage consequential adjustment to all categories of workers in the state.
“This includes the state civil servants, the Local Government employees and other categories of workers. The government is aware of the hardship being encountered by the civil servants,” he stated.
Led by Secretary to the State Government, Abdullahi Faskari, the committee includes prominent state officials such as the Head of Civil Service, Falalu Bawale; the state Commissioners for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, and Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Others are the Special Adviser to the Governor on Labor Matters; as well as representatives from the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, among others.
However, the latest reports suggest the committee has not been able to approve the wage.
“Katsina State is yet to implement the new minimum wage though the state has set up a committee in that regard,” a top NLC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter was quoted to have said.
“Negotiation between the labour unions and the government committee members are still ongoing. Anything can happen between now and in four days to come (as at Thursday), which is the December 1 deadline.”
Meanwhile, the Zamfara state Government says it has concluded arrangements for the implementation of the new minimum wage adding that it had been talking with the labour leaders in the state.
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Dauda Lawal on Media and Communications, Mustafa Jafaru Kaura, said the state government would implement the new wage as soon as possible.
He said, “The state government has already set up a committee to work out modalities for the implementation of the new minimum wage of N70,000.”
He stated that the state government wanted to know the exact number of its civil servants and the amount involved before settling the new wage.
Kaura added, “The committee has gone far in its assignment and I am telling you that as soon as the committee finishes its assignment, Governor Lawal will surely implement the new wage.”
He stressed that the state government would never fail the civil servants, adding that “Governor Dauda Lawal is one of the civil servants’ friendly governors in the country.”
“Zamfara workers will never be left out in terms of the new minimum wage,” he added.
“I want you to remember that when he assumed office as the Governor of the state, he met the state’s civil servants collecting N18,000 as minimum wage.”
“He quickly directed the state’s ministry of finance to start implementing the N30,000 minimum wage which was done.’’
“So, I am assuring you that, the Governor will soon implement the new minimum wage for N70,000,” Kaura said.
