NLC issues gov 20 day ultimatum to implement minimum wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress, on November 10, 2024, gave state governments until December 1, 2024 to enact the new minimum wage.

This was contained in a communiqué released after NLC held its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Port Harcourt on November 8, 2024.

The NLC accused gasoline marketers of manipulating petrol prices.

The pump price was reported to be much more than the real market value.

It further claimed that Nigerians were being taken advantage of.

Poverty inducing policies made by government were reportedly causing more hardship and hunger among its inhabitants.

The Congress asked for an immediate assessment of measures it characterized as “anti-people”.

It emphasized the extreme economic suffering experienced nationwide.

In addition, the NLC ordered state councils that have not yet adopted the new minimum wage to launch an indefinite strike over the unresolved labor concerns on December 1, 2024.

In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu authorized raising the minimum salary for Nigerian workers from N30,000 to N70,000.

Implementing the new minimum wage across states have been gradual, as some have not yet done so.

Several states have committed to paying the N70,000 minimum wage, others have gone one step further and agreed to pay sums above the federal requirement.

More than 20 states have declared their intention to implement the new minimum wage as of the first week of November.

The communique reads in part…

“The NEC, therefore, resolves to set up a National Minimum Wage Implementation Committee that will, among others, commence a nationwide assessment, mobilisation and sensitisation campaign, educating workers and citizens on the need to resist this assault on their dignity and rights.

“Furthermore, the NLC shall initiate a series of industrial actions in all non-compliant states and shall not relent until the minimum wage is fully implemented across Nigeria.

“To this end, all state councils where the national minimum wage has not been fully implemented by the last day of November 2024 have been directed to proceed on strike beginning from the 1st day of December 2024.

“Nigerian workers demand justice, and justice they shall have”, the communique stated.

The NLC‘s call reaffirmed its resolve to hold the government and petroleum marketers responsible for the welfare of its constituents and its rising worries about the economic burden on Nigerians.

“The NEC-in-session noted with increasing dismay the shenanigans around the appropriate pricing of petrol in Nigeria.

“It observed that there may be a gang-up against Nigerians by fat cats in the industry as the current price of the product is significantly higher than the real market price.

“Padding of costs and abnormal margins seems to be the order of the day considering the revelations from the ongoing controversy between Marketers and Dangote group.

“It is entirely possible that Nigerian workers and masses are being ripped off by those who control the levers of economic power in Nigeria which explains why the domestic public refineries may not immediately be allowed to come on stream.

“NLC demands appropriate pricing of petrol and calls for the Public domestic refineries in PH, Warri and Kaduna to quickly come back on stream”, it added.

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