May Day: Workers Threaten Nationwide Strike, Says No Going Back On Minimum Wage

Workers under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress have called on the state governors to fully implement the N30,000 minimum wage approved by the Federal Government.

The workers, who spoke on Saturday at separate events held across the country to mark the International Workers’ Day, said the new minimum wage was not only their rights but also non-negotiable.

The labour union leaders noted that while some states had yet to implement the N30,000 minimum wage, a number of other governors who had implemented it failed to do so fully.

As such, they expressed anger about the situation and insisted workers would accept nothing but full implementation of the N30,000 national minimum wage.

Speaking at the May Day celebration held at the Metropolitan Square, Ilorin, Kwara State, the state Chairman of TUC, Mr Akinsola Akinwunmi, called on the state government to return to the negotiation table to address their outstanding demands.

“The N30,000 minimum wage and consequential adjustment is our right and must be implemented for an improved standard of living of the least paid workers,” he said.

Responding, the state Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, appealed to the workers to exercise patience and show understanding in the light of the current economic realities.

Also, the NLC Chairman in Kogi State, Onu Edoka, lamented that workers in the state could no longer cope with the current economic realities without the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage, adding that any plan to move the minimum wage from the exclusive list to the concurrent list would be rejected.

“Any individual pushing for the demonic plan of removing the minimum wage from the exclusive to the concurrent list will be rejected by millions of Nigerian workers. Such act is not just anti-workers but also a plot to put workers at the mercy of some individuals in the country,” he said.

Edoka also appealed to the state Governor Yahaya Bello to address the issue of “percentage salary” payment to local government teachers in the state.

“When workers are highly motivated, it will increase their work efficiency and productivity. Over the years, our local government workers and teachers are feeding their families with percentage salaries. It didn’t start with the current administration, as we won’t shy away from the fact that there was an improvement when Governor Bello came on board,” he said.

The organised labour in Borno State also decried the non-payment of salaries of 6,000 teachers for nine months and demanded the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage for local government workers.

The state Chairman of the NLC, Bulama Abiso, said the current reality of paying local government workers and teachers the old wage of 18,000 was not acceptable.

Workers in Bayelsa State also asked the state government to pay the N30,000 minimum wage, the gratuities of local government retirees, and implement the annual salary increment and promotion.

The state NLC Chairman, John Ndiomu, who delivered a joint address on behalf of the labour unions, also demanded training and retraining of civil servants.

In Cross River State, the NLC and TUC condemned the activities of kidnappers in the state and decried the prolonged stay of the state NLC chairman, Benedict Ukpepi, in the custody of kidnappers since March 21, 2021.

The workers, who staged a protest at the Freedom Park in Calabar on Saturday, called on the security agencies to secure Ukpepi’s release.

The Benue State chapter of the NLC also appealed to Governor Samuel Ortom to pay the 72-month pension arrears owed to retired local government workers in the state.

It also appealed to the governor to implement the national minimum wage for workers on Grade Level 7 and above.

The NLC chairman, Mr Godwin Anya, said in Makurdi on Saturday that the state government also owed teachers 10 months’ salary arrears, nine months for council workers, and five months’ salaries for state government workers.

Anya said the non-payment of the salary areas had not only caused hardship but also dampened the morale of workers, lamenting that the government had remained unresponsive to the issues of pensions and salaries.

But Ortom, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Benson Abounu, blamed insecurity for his administration’s inability to be up and running in the payment of salaries and pensions as security agencies depend on the state government for funding.

The governor, however, promised to address the issue before the end of his administration.

Similarly, the Kano State chapter of the NLC called on Governor Abdullahi Ganduje to pay the N26bn outstanding pensions, and gratuities of retirees.

The state NLC chairman, Mr Kabir Ado-Minjibir, said, “This action will equally reduce the massive increase of pensioners within five years, thereby giving an opportunity to the Kano State Pension Funds Trustee to offset its outstanding liabilities.”

Workers in Abia State also asked the state government to clear the outstanding salaries of workers in the state.

“The problem is that many states in the federation are not paying workers’ salaries and pensions. If salaries and pensions are not paid regularly, workers will be unable to cater for their families,” the state NLC chairman, Chief Uchenna Obigwe, said.

The Kebbi State NLC Chairman, Umar Halidu-Alhassan, also on Saturday asked the state government to settle the gratuities of retirees and pay the workers their 2020 leave grant.

But the state Governor, Atiku Bagudu, on Saturday said his administration would not be able to pay the 2020 leave grant of the workers and the outstanding gratuities.

“In spite of the dwindling resources, the state government still pays salaries, runs the government and puts in some infrastructure in the state. The union should liaise with the Ministry of Finance for a way out,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Zamfara State Government said it had introduced measures to cushion the effects of hardship suffered by workers due to the non-implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage.

Similarly, the Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, said the state government would sustain reforms and policies to improve the lives of the people.

Obaseki, who spoke in Benin City while addressing workers at an event to mark the Workers’ Day, urged them to support his administration’s efforts to increase revenue.