Minimum Wage: No Going Back on December 1 Deadline, Says NLC

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said its December 1 ultimatum to state governors who failed to implement the new minimum wage by the end of November 2024 still stands.
The NLC’s Head of Protocol and Public Relations, Benson Upah, confirmed this in a text message sent to THISDAY in Abuja.

Recall that the NLC had given state governments an ultimatum of December 1, 2024, to implement the new minimum wage.
“Yes, the ultimatum still stands. Nothing has changed,” Upah said.
Meanwhile, more state governments that are yet to reach an agreement with organised labour in their states are currently trying to meet the deadline.

The Sokoto State Government on Monday met with the state chapter of the NLC and urged the representatives to submit its proposal for the wage adjustment.
The Deputy Governor, Alhaji Idris Gobir, made this known during the meeting.
“Go and bring your proposal for the new minimum wage implementation and I assure you that I will facilitate the process of quick harmonisation,” Gobir said.
The Sokoto State NLC Chairman, Abdullahi Jungul, lauded the government’s apparent commitment to the wage review.

He urged civil servants to remain calm, assuring them that the union would submit its proposal promptly.
The state NLC has since submitted its proposal.
In a bid to meet the deadline, the Zamfara State Government last week announced that it would soon commence the payment of the new minimum wage after the ongoing verification of workers in the state.
The state government explained that the delay in implementation was due to the activities of ghost workers.
Recall that the state, under the leadership of former governor, Bello Matawalle, did not implement the 2019 minimum wage of N30,000.
Also, in a bid to meet the ultimatum, the Taraba State Government announced the implementation of a new minimum wage.

The implementation is with effect from November 2024.
This was disclosed in a statement recently by the state Head of Service, Paul Maigida.
“I wish to inform you that His Excellency, the Governor of Taraba State, Dr Agbu Kefas, has approved the implementation of N70,000 new minimum wage for workers in Taraba State with effect from November 2024,” the statement read.
Also, Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, approved the immediate implementation of N70,000 minimum wage for workers in the state.
This followed the agreement of the Committee on Consequential Adjustment on Salaries on November 13, 2024, with the state governor.

In Cross River State, our correspondent learnt that the Committee on Minimum Wage was still working on the negotiations for state workers.
In Imo State, THISDAY gathered that the state government had been silent while the committee on minimum wage in Osun State had yet to unveil any package for workers amidst rising inflation.

The National Vice President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Tommy Etim, told THISDAY that the union was monitoring developments across the country.