N70,000 Minimum Wage: NLC To Decide Next Steps After December 1

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it was monitoring developments across states and gathering reports on compliance with the new minimum wage.

This followed as the December 1 ultimatum given to states to implement the new minimum wage nears its end.

LEADERSHIP Friday learnt that many states still need to commence payment or initiate discussions for the implementation.

Giving an update while speaking to labour reporters in Abuja, NLC president Comrade Joe Ajaero warned state governments failing to comply with the implementation of the new minimum wage of the impending strike.

According to Ajaero, the directive to enforce the minimum wage policy is a national mandate and states that fail to act by the deadline risk facing industrial actions.

He stated that Congress was taking a measured, state-by-state approach to assessing compliance levels to ensure that only non-compliant states faced industrial actions.

Comrade Ajaero noted that certain states have made progress, with some meeting their obligations by the deadline.

However, he expressed concerns in others, such as Cross River State and Zamfara, because the government had failed to set up a committee to address the matter.

He said, “It’s a policy pronouncement. States know what they are supposed to do by a specific date. If they fail, actions will follow.

We cannot call for a nationwide strike where some states have already complied. Instead, we are collating reports from all states to determine the next steps.

“There are peculiarities in each state; in some, the entire executive is ready to act, but the leadership is reluctant due to its closeness to the government. In others, workers need assistance to address unique challenges.

We have established a national committee to review these peculiarities and provide the necessary support.”

The congress further warned that any attempts by state governments to ignore the directive would be met with decisive action, potentially leading to strikes in non-compliant states.