While negotiations for a review of a new minimum wage are ongoing with demands of a living wage of N615,000, the organised Labour in Abia state is still struggling with the State Government over payment of N30,000 minimum wage.
This is just as the organised Labour in the State has handed a 14-day ultimatum to Governor Alex Otti to ensure full payment of the N30,000 national minimum wage in the State and the N35,000 palliative wage award approved by the Federal Government for workers.
In a letter addressed to Governor Otti, by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Abia state council and Trade Union Congress (TUC), Abia state council, the organized Labour requested that the N30,000 former national minimum wage and the N35,000 wage award approved by the Federal Government eight months ago for workers be paid without further delay to workers in Abia State.
Labour also noted that a committee was set up to produce a salary structure based on the N30,000 former national minimum wage which the state government failed to implement.
In the letter, signed by the Comrade Ogbonnaya Okoro and Comrade Emma Alozie, Abia NLC Chairman and Secretary, respectively; Comrade Eneogwe Ihechi and Comrade George Okogbue, Abia TUC Chairman and Secretary, respectively; and Chairman and Secretary of the Joint Negotiating Council, Comrade Innocent Ekwenye and Comrade Oby Maduako, respectively; the organised Labour explained that it relied on the national organised Labour meeting held in Abuja on Monday, May 20,2024.
The letter read; “Consequent upon the meeting held by the national labour leadership on Monday,May 20,2024, which the state councils were directed to issue 14 day ultimatum to various state governments who have not implemented the N30,000 former minimum wage and N35,000 palliative wage award.
“Furtherance to the directive, the organized labour in the state comprising the NLC,TUC and JPSNC, met on Wednesday, and noted with dismay the various challenges facing labour unions and their members in the state.
“These include non implementation of the former national minimum wage, non implementation of the N35,000 palliative wage award to Abia workers. The organized labour observed with utmost regret that from 2019 till date, the Abia state government has failed to fully implement the national minimum wage as agreed upon by the organized Labour, government and employers in the private sector and gazetted by the federal government. Since, the state government has continued to shun every attempt for further discussion on the minimum wage.
“The organized labour also critically viewed the issue of non implementation of the N35,000 palliative wage award 8 months after its announcement by the state government as disheartening and this has dampened the moral of workers in the state.
“Since government is a continuum, Your Excellency, you are humbly requested to put in place necessary machinery to kick start the process of implementing in full the N30,000 former national minimum wage and the N35,000 wage award within 14 days in line with the directive of the joint NEC meeting of the NLC and TUC.”