The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, on Tuesday, described as irresponsible the menace by the Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, to sack employees who launched into strike over the non-implementation of the N70,000 minimal wage by the state authorities.
The labour chief’s criticism of the governor comes as employees in Akwa Ibom State down instruments to protest the failure of their state governor to implement the brand new wage simply as their Kaduna counterparts suspended their strike.
The PUNCH experiences that the NLC had given directives to employees whose state governments didn’t implement the brand new minimal wage to embark on strike.
However Nwifuru, in a stay broadcast on Monday, kicked towards the economic motion, vowing he would withhold the salaries of the placing employees and likewise substitute any of them who didn’t report back to workplace within the subsequent 72 hours.
He mentioned, “For those who don’t go to work, not solely that I can’t pay you wage, I’ll substitute you inside 72 hours. So far as I’m not responsible, I don’t owe you. I’m paying you what is meant to be paid and in line with the settlement and structure, I don’t owe you. For those who don’t go to work inside 72 hours, I’ll substitute you.”
He added, “I’ve known as the Chairman of the Civil Service Fee. I’ve directed all of the commissioners to go to their workplaces. All of the companies and all of the departments of presidency should be of their workplaces and report the those who come to work.
However Ajaero, in his response to Nwifuru’s outburst, famous that the strike motion was preceded by failed conversations and notices to the governor on the necessity to implement the 2024 nationwide minimal wage signed into legislation a number of months in the past.
The labour chief, in a press release, mentioned, “The legislation has provisions for enforcement by employees. Moreover this, strike motion is a lawful/reputable device within the palms of aggrieved employees. In gentle of this, we contemplate the menace by the governor as irresponsible and unhelpful.
“What an affordable governor performing moderately must have completed was to ask the labour leaders within the state for dialogue for a speedy decision of the details in problem. However he thinks he’s God. On our half, we wish the world to know that Governor Nwifuru is the primary to attract blood in a matter of which he’s utterly responsible.’’
“We additionally need the world to know that the suitable of response is obtainable to us in pursuance of a simply trigger. Accordingly, the Nationwide Secretariat of the Congress has directed all of the associates, together with these within the non-public sector, to right away be part of within the strike motion.
“It equally urged the employees already on strike to not yield to the threats of the governor. They’re to maintain the momentum till the governor sees the necessity to not solely behave correctly however pay the minimal wage in compliance with the legislation. Within the coming hours, additional directives will probably be given as we deem match,” Ajaero mentioned.
In the meantime, the Kaduna State chapter of the NLC has suspended its strike over the non-payment of the minimal wage to employees within the state.
The strike was suspended for seven days to present the state authorities time to revisit its cost template, which was rejected by the labour union as a consequence of sure inconsistencies.
The NLC chairman in Kaduna State, Ayuba Suleiman, disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday.
In keeping with him, the choice to droop the strike was taken after a Monday night time assembly with authorities representatives.
“We met with the federal government representatives and we agreed to droop the strike for seven days to present them house to revisit their cost template.
“We rejected the cost as a result of it exempted some employees, paid some much less, and paid some extra. We wish a uniform cost template that displays the brand new minimal wage,” he mentioned.
Suleiman expressed gratitude to the employees for his or her help in the course of the strike.
“We thanks on your compliance, and we guarantee you that your pursuits are our precedence. Now you can return to work tomorrow morning, and we’ll proceed to battle on your rights,” he mentioned, whereas commending the Nationwide Monitoring Committee for giving the union the go-ahead to droop the strike.
“We contacted the NLC Nationwide Monitoring Committee, they usually gave us the go-ahead to droop the strike. We’re assured that the state authorities will revisit its cost template and provide you with a uniform cost construction that displays the brand new minimal wage, ‘’ he defined.
Nonetheless, Governor Uba Sani’s Chief Press Secretary, Ibraheem Musa, clarified that the difficulty was associated to wage changes, not the minimal wage itself.
“The least paid employee in Kaduna State obtained N72,000 in November,” Musa mentioned, including, “The difficulty shouldn’t be concerning the minimal wage however concerning the consequential changes. We urge endurance, because the state’s restricted income, which contains a median month-to-month allocation of N8bn from the Federal Account Allocation Committee and N4bn in internally generated income, makes it troublesome to implement the changes instantly.”
In a associated growth, civil servants in Akwa Ibom State have resolved to embark on strike from Wednesday (right now) following the non-implementation of the nationwide minimal wage within the state.
This was contained in a communique issued after an emergency assembly of the State Govt Council held on the NLC Secretariat, Uyo on Monday.
The assembly was attended by members of the State Administrative Council and State Govt Council.
The assertion, signed by the chairman of SEC, Sunny James, and made out there to our correspondent in Uyo, on Tuesday, learn, “The Sec -in-session made the next resolutions: That His Excellency direct for the signing of the New Nationwide Minimal Wage Settlement, which shall state the efficient date of implementation whereas the employees verification train shall proceed;
“That if by midnight of Tuesday, December 3, 2024, the settlement talked about in (1) above shouldn’t be signed with the efficient date and month of graduation for cost correctly indicated. All employees within the state shall start an indefinite strike motion over the non-implementation of the brand new wage.
“That the SEC-in-Session hereby acknowledges the directives of the nationwide management of the NLC and that of the presidents of the affiliate unions to start motion on December 1, 2024, however following the peculiar scenario of the burial of the First Girl of our state, there was the necessity to shift our date by three days and hereby direct all the employees to proceed on strike on Wednesday, 4th December, 2024 if the settlement shouldn’t be signed by that point.
“That employees are additional directed to return out en-masse to the Akwa Ibom State Authorities Home gate at Wellington Bassey Means, Uyo on Monday December 9, 2024 to massively protest for his or her new nationwide minimal wage cost.”
