New Minimum Wage: NLC Directs Workers in 14 States, FCT to Commence Strike

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed public servants in 14 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to commence industrial action from Sunday, December 1, over failures to comply with the N70,000 new minimum wage.

The affected states are: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, FCT, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Oyo, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara.

Legislation on the N70,000 new minimum wage in Nigeria was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in July this year but many states and organisations are yet to implement it for their workers.

In a letter dated November 29, 2024, and addressed to all presidents and General Secretaries of all the NLC affiliates, the labour movement stated that following the resolution by its Central Working Committee in Kano, workers in the non-compliant states were required to proceed on strike to compel the government to implement the new minimum wage law.

The letter signed by NLC General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja stated:  “Recall that NEC of 8th November, 2024 in Port Harcourt directed that industrial action to compel the 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 27th of November, 2024. Following the above, it is our information that your state has not commenced the said implementation as workers are still paid on the old structure and there is no subsisting agreement to show the date of commencement of the implementation.

“You are hereby directed as a matter of utmost seriousness commence the implementation of the said, NEC and CWC directive, effective Monday, December 2nd, 2924”. 

The NLC warned the state branches that failure to adhere strictly to the directive would attract dire consequences.