By Ayo Kehinde
The Nigeria Labour Congress has issued a stern warning to state governments that have yet to implement the newly mandated minimum wage, announcing plans to launch a series of industrial actions against any non-compliant states beginning December 1, 2024.
In a communique signed by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, after its National Executive Council meeting held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the congress expressed profound dissatisfaction with the failure of some states to comply with the new wage law.
It stated that workers in these states are facing worsening economic conditions, making it increasingly difficult to sustain themselves and their families.
The communique read in part, “The NEC notes with deep frustration the persistent delay and outright refusal by some state governments to implement the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act. This betrayal by certain governors and government officials across the country flies in the face of both legality and morality, as workers continue to be denied their rightful wages amidst rising economic hardship”
The congress condemned the lack of commitment by certain governors, describing it as a “blatant disregard for the law and the lives of millions of Nigerian workers.
The NLC also it has established a National Minimum Wage Implementation Committee tasked with mobilising and educating citizens across Nigeria to resist what it termed an “assault on their dignity and rights.”
“All state councils where the National Minimum Wage has not been fully implemented by November 30 have been directed to proceed on strike beginning December 1,” it declared.
The congress also decried the unchecked rise in inflation and skyrocketing prices of essential goods, which it said have put necessities out of reach for many Nigerian families.
Commenting on the escalating petrol prices, the NLC urged the Federal Government to urgently reinstate functional public refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna, arguing that domestic refining would help dismantle the monopolistic grip on the petroleum industry and lower costs for ordinary Nigerians.
The NLC also addressed the Federal Government’s provision of Compressed Natural Gas buses to Congress, commending the initiative but noting the severe infrastructure deficits in the rollout, which could ultimately derail the broader CNG adoption goals.
“The NEC appreciates the federal government’s provision of CNG buses but emphasises that they are grossly inadequate to bridge the vast transportation gap,” the communique noted.
Expressing solidarity with workers in Rivers State, the NLC demanded that the state government be granted unfettered access to its full revenue allocations, urging an immediate resolution to the issue.
