Minimum Wage: We Can’t Guarantee Industrial Peace And Harmony In States That Fail To Meet Up By 31st Dec – Labour

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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given states until 31st December to implement the new minimum wage.

According to the labour union, it will not “guarantee industrial peace and harmony in states which fail to conclude negotiations” that fail to implement the N30,000 new national minimum wage by that date.

This was disclosed in a communique jointly signed by Ayuba Wabba, NLC president; Emmanuel Ugboaja, NLC general secretary; and Abdulrafiu Adeniji, national chairperson, Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Union Side), on Thursday.

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The communique, which was issued at the end of its meeting with state council chairmen, categorised states into three, based on their level of implementation of the national minimum wage.

Read Also: Lagos Begins Payment Of N35k New Minimum Wage November

The union listed the first category as states that have commenced the implementation and payment of the new minimum wage as  Kaduna, Kebbi, Lagos and Adamawa. It said Jigawa had concluded negotiations but is yet to make its first payment to workers.

The second category includes states that have constituted a negotiating committee between their state government and labour union, following consequential adjustments of salaries.

Borno, Abia, Kano, Bayelsa, Sokoto, Niger, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Ondo, Ebonyi, Katsina, and Zamfara, fell in than category.

The third category includes states that are yet to put structures in place for negotiation to commence.

“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 communique read.

The union said the states that are yet to commence negotiation might experience “industrial disharmony from January if the governors refuse to do the needful”.