Only five states have begun the implementation of N30,000 new minimum wage signed into law last April by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said.

Labour, in a communique issued at the end of its one-day stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, listed Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi, Adamawa and Jigawa states as those paying their workers the new package.

It hinted that it would shut down the 31 other states by December 31, if they failed to conclude all negotiations on the ‘consequential adjustment’ and begin full implementation of the new wage.

The communique was signed by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, and National Chairperson, Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (Trade Union), Abdulrafiu A. Adeniji.

It said that organised labour would not guarantee industrial harmony in any state that failed to implement the new wage.

Some of the state that are yet to setup committees, according to the NLC, are Bauchi, Yobe, Rivers, Benue, Gombe, Kwara, Imo, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo, Anambra, Taraba, Cross River, Ogun, Enugu, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kogi and Delta.

The congress noted that oranised labour in the states would work in harmony to ensure that all workers enjoyed the new national minimum wage.

The communique reads: “Each state should immediately convoke an emergency executive council meeting and state congress of all workers to brief them on the outcome of the stakeholders’ meeting on the new national minimum wage implementation;

“States that are still on the discussion table (Category 2) should expedite discussions to conclude the negotiations on or before December 31, 2019;

“States which have not commenced discussion should quickly constitute a negotiating committee and expeditiously conclude discussions on salary adjustment consequent on the new national minimum wage on or before December 31, 2019.

“In the event that any state fails to comply with these resolutions on or before December 31, 2019, organised labour will not guarantee industrial harmony in such state.” (The Nation)

Update news