The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has directed workers in 14 states to proceed on an indefinite strike from Monday to press home the implementation of the new minimum wage.
The affected states are: Ekiti, Oyo, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory, Imo and Nasarawa.
Other states are Sokoto, Yobe, Katsina and Zamfara.
The General Secretary of the NLC, Emmanuel Ugboaja in a November 29,2024 circular to Presidents and General Secretaries of NLC affiliates said the industrial action to “compel implementation of the new national minimum wage should commence in any state that has not complied by the end of November 2024. This position was reinforced by the CWC in Kano on the 27th of November 2024.
“Flowing from the above it is our information that some states have not commenced the said implementation as workers are still being paid on the old structure and there is no subsisting agreement to show a date of commencement of implementations They are as follows: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory, Imo, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Oyo, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara states.
“We therefore request that you direct your state councils in the following states to proceed on the said needed actions to compel the implementation as resolved by the NEC & CWC.
“Please do oblige us with copies of your letters to your state councils in this regard for effective mobilisation.”
The new Minimum Wage of N70,000 per month came into effect in July when the bill to that effect was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.