NLC to begin indefinite strike Jan 8 over minimum wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced that organised labour would commence an indefinite strike action on January 8, following the federal government’s failure to implement the recommendation of the tripartite committee to increase the national minimum wage to N30,000.

Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, made this known on Wednesday in Abuja.

Wabba lamented the government’s inability to transmit a bill to the National Assembly to review the minimum wage, describing the present efforts of the executive as “dilly-dallying”

The labour chief appealed to the government to urgently the ake necessary steps to ensure the approval of the new minimum wage amount, warning that the NLC would mobilise its workers for “a prolonged national strike” if their requests are not acceded to before the set ultimatum.

“It is unfortunate that the Federal Government is yet to transmit to the National Assembly an executive bill for the enactment of N30,000 as the new national minimum wage.

“Government’s dilly-dallying on the issue has strained Government-Labour relations with a potential for a major national strike which could just be days away.

“I want to appeal to the government to do the needful by urgently transmitting the bill on the new national minimum wage to the National Assembly.

“We also would like to use this same opportunity to urge workers to fully mobilise for a prolonged national strike and enforce their right,” Wabba said.

He also appealed to workers across the country to understand and support the strike in the interest of their social and economic prosperity.

Wabba also advised Nigerian workers to vote wisely during the general elections in order to improve their fortunes economically, adding that the NLC remains committed to the enforcement of workers’ right in the country.

“The new year presents great opportunities for workers, pensioners, civil society allies and their friends and families to put their numbers to good use.

“This is by voting out, not on the basis of tribe or religion but purely policy, any candidate that cannot serve their interest.

“In the year that is ahead of us, the NLC remains unequivocally committed to the national and workers’ goals which include the campaign for industrialisation, against selective enforcement of “No Work, No Pay” policy of government, among others,” he said.

The tripartite committee, headed by Amma Pepple, a former head of the Civil Service of the federation, had recommended to the federal government to increase the minimum wage from the current N18,000 to N30,000, which was what organised labour agitated for.

President Muhammadu Buhari promised that he would implement the committee’s recommendation and transmit a bill to the National Assembly to implement the new wage.

But the organised labour has grumbled over the perceived slow progress made by the executive to implement the new wage.

The NLC and its counterpart, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had threatened to go on strike on September 27, 2018, over the same issue but were persuaded by the federal government to rescind their decision and return to the negotiating table.