The industrial action by the Nigeria Labour Congress to protest the non-implementation of the new national minimum wage generated controversies Monday.
While the actions of workers grounded the civil service in three states and the Federal Capital Territory, Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi took up an autocratic turn threatening to replace workers in the state should they fail to return to work.
Nwifuru made the threat during a live broadcast in his office at Government House, Centenary City, Abakaliki, on Monday.
The visibly angry governor vowed that he would not only withhold the salaries of the striking workers but also replace any of them who failed to report to the office in the next 72 hours.
The governor kicked against the ongoing strike, stating that he had done so much for workers in the state.
He said, “If you don’t go to work, not only will I not pay you salary, but I will replace you within 72 hours.
“As far as I am not guilty, I do not owe you. I am paying you what is supposed to be paid, and according to the agreement and constitution, I do not owe you. If you don’t go to work within 72 hours, I will replace you.”
He added, “I have called the Chairman, Civil Service Commission. I have directed all the commissioners to go to their offices. All the agencies and all the departments of government must be in their offices and record the people that come to work.
“I will pay through table payment, by the number of days you attend to your duty in your office. If you don’t want to come to work, forget about the state government.”
Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ebonyi State chapter, Prof. Oguguo Egwu, had on Sunday expressed displeasure over the perceived lackadaisical attitude of the governor towards the plight of workers, saying the condition of civil servants in the state was worrisome.
Other states where government activities were paralysed were Nasarawa, Kaduna, and the Federal Capital Territory.
In Nasarawa, official activities were stalled across the 13 local government areas of the state on Monday as workers complied with the one-week indefinite industrial action declared by the organised labour union in the state.
It was observed that the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lafia, State Secretariat, and the judiciary were completely shut down in full compliance with the strike.
The scenario was the same at the State Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, as only one security personnel was sighted at the gate, keeping watch to prevent hoodlums from taking advantage of the strike.
Offices also visited included the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission, Nasarawa Geographic Information Service, and the Nasarawa State Primary Healthcare Development, among others.
Ministries such as Youths and Sports Development, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Works and Housing, and the office of the Secretary to the Nasarawa State Government were completely deserted.
Leaders of organised labour in the state monitored to ensure total compliance with the strike.
While the Nasarawa State Committee on the new National Minimum Wage insisted that the state government had already approved the payment of N70,500 as the minimum wage for workers across the state, the Nasarawa State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ismaila Okoh, said the union declared a total strike because the government only verbally committed to a N70,500 minimum wage but failed to provide a written agreement specifying the payment terms.
Kaduna
Activities in ministries, departments, and agencies in Kaduna State were halted as the workers’ strike in the state began in full swing on Monday.
The secretariat gates were also locked, preventing workers from accessing their offices, whereas banks and other private institutions continued operations.
The strike was called by organised labour over the state government’s failure to implement the consequential adjustments to the new minimum wage, despite paying a minimum gross salary of N72,000.
According to the Kaduna State NLC chairman, Ayuba Suleiman, the strike was in line with directives from the national leadership of the NLC and the Trade Union Congress.
In defence, Governor Uba Sani, through his Chief Press Secretary, Ibraheem Musa, stated that the issue was related to salary adjustments, not the minimum wage itself.
“The least paid worker in Kaduna State received N72,000 in November.
“The issue is not about the minimum wage, but about the consequential adjustments. We urge patience, as the state’s limited revenue, which comprises an average monthly allocation of N8bn from the Federal Account Allocation Committee and N4bn in internally generated revenue, makes it difficult to implement the adjustments immediately,” he said.
However, Suleiman dismissed the government’s position, reiterating that the failure to implement the adjustments was unacceptable.
“We met with the government on Saturday, but no agreement was reached. We will continue with the strike until our demands are met,” he said.
The TUC Kaduna State Council also criticised the government’s unilateral implementation of the new wage, describing it as contrary to collective bargaining principles.
FCT
In the Federal Capital Territory, the National Union of Local Government Employees complied with the directive of the NLC to embark on an indefinite strike, insisting offices in the area would “remain under lock and key” until demands were met.
The FCT Council of the NLC directed workers in the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory to embark on an indefinite strike on December 1 until further directives were issued.
The letter signed by the FCT NLC chairman, Stephen Knabayi, on Saturday, faulted the failure of the area council chairmen to respond to the demand for the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage, despite receiving a communiqué of the National Executive Council of the NLC, issued to the council chairmen on November 14.
The President of NULGE, FCT chapter, Abdullahi Kabi, speaking to journalists on Monday, said the Area Council offices “will remain under lock and key until they implement the N70,000 minimum wage.”
“The entire FCT Area Council will remain under lock and key until they implement the N70,000 minimum wage. We don’t have any explanation as to why they have not started the minimum wage implementation.
“The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has already told us that he does not hold their money and that they should find ways to settle us,” he said.
He added, “We ask, what is our offence? Who among us is not affected by these unmet demands? Let us stand together and support our union’s efforts to fight for our rights. We are not slaves. FCTA staff (members) have been paid in all the above-listed areas; are we all not in FCT?
“Staff at the FCT Area Councils are demotivated, demoralised and are gradually being deactivated by the system. We go to the same market, same school, same hospital, pay house rent, pay electricity bills, pay water bills, and others; have the same transport system; work in the same environment, etc. Are we slaves? Our demands must be met before we engage in any activity.”