Planned NLC Strike Faces Setback As State Chapters Withdraw

 

The deliberate December 1 strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is at risk of collapsing as a number of state chapters have announced they will not participate in the proposed industrial action

The. strike was intended to protest the delay in implementing the new N70,000 minimum wage authorised by President Bola Tinubu in July

While. many states have commenced payments above the authorised minimum, together with Lagos and Rivers, with presents of N85,000, 13 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have yet to undertake the new wage structure. These states include:

Abia

Akwa Ibom

Ebonyi

Ekiti

Imo

Nasarawa

Kaduna

Katsina

Oyo

Sokoto

Yobe

Zamfara

Enugu

FCT

Less than 24 hours earlier than the proposed strike, a number of state NLC chapters announced their withdrawal, further casting doubt on the action’s feasibility

President. Tinubu authorised the new wage in July to alleviate workers’ burdens amidst rising inflation and pledged to review it every three years. While some states promptly carried out the directive, others have cited financial challenges as a barrier

The. Chairman of NLC in Imo State, Uche Chigaemezu, pronounced on Saturday that there was no plan to embark on any strike

Speaking. in an interview with Punch, Chigaemezu said, “We can not imagine of embarking on any strike simply because we have reached an agreement with the state government led by Governor Hope Uzodimma

“He. has proven dedication to the fee of N70,000 minimum wage to Imo employees. We have communicated our place to the nationwide body, and they are aware of the determination of the government to pay the minimum wage soon”

A. civil servant, who spoke anonymously, confirmed that there was no plan to embark on strike in the state

While. in Sokoto State, NLC opted to pull out of the deliberate nationwide strike of the union following the approval of N70,000 minimum wage for state employees by Governor Ahmed Aliyu

Recall. that whereas presenting the 2025 appropriation bill to the state House of Assembly on Friday, the state governor announced that his administration was ready to undertake N70,000 as the new minimum wage

The. governor, however, disclosed that implementing the new wage would begin in January 2025

Speaking. with Punch on the subsequent line of action, the secretary of the NLC in the state pronounced on Saturday that the union had withdrawn from the proposed strike action

He. said, “We are not becoming a member of the strike action; representatives of the labour union and the state government have signed a memorandum of understanding on the implementation of the new minimum wage”

Similarly,. organised labour in Oyo State dissociated itself from the strike

In. separate interviews with Punch in Ibadan, the state capital, the NLC state chairman and his Trade Union Congress counterpart, Kayode Martins and Bosun Olabiyi, respectively, pronounced labour would not participate in the strike

Martins. said, “We have liaised with the nationwide secretariat, and we let them realise the stage we are. Already, we have Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for the conclusion of everything

“We. wrote in our press release that we have a good rapport with the government”

In. his submission, Olabiyi said, “We are dissociating ourselves completely from the strike in the state. We have an understanding with the state government; we are not going on strike simply because every little thing is high quality in this state”

On. his part, the NLC Chairman in Katsina State, Hussaini Danduna, pronounced employees in the state would not join the deliberate December 1st industrial action

He. said, “We have signed an agreement with the Katsina State Government, and based on this, we are not going to join the strike motion declared by the nationwide govt council of our union”

Also,. the TUC Chairman of Katsina State, Mukhtar Abdu-Ruma, pronounced employees would not join the motion following the agreement with the state government on Saturday

“The. new minimum wage will be carried out in December, and we have agreed on the minimum wage and consequential adjustment,” he stated

Meanwhile,. the TUC Chairman in Akwa Ibom State, Dominic Abang, pronounced public civil servants would not participate in the deliberate industrial motion by the NLC over the non-implementation of the new minimum wage

Though. the state NLC Chairman, Sunny James, might not be reached on the phone, Abang told Punch in Uyo, the state capital, that the TUC had gone far at the committee level, and there was no want to join the strike

However,. the Kaduna State chapter of the NLC on Saturday confirmed its participation in the deliberate nationwide strike scheduled for December 1, 2024

The. Chairman of the Kaduna State NLC, Ayuba Suleiman, confirmed the state’s participation whereas speaking with the platform

When. asked if the NLC was equipped to embark on the nationwide strike, Suleiman replied, “Yes, we are set for the strike”

Similarly,. the Nasarawa State chapter of the NLC declared its readiness to comply with the nationwide strike order

The. state NLC Chairman, Ismaila Okoh, pronounced a realize of strike had been issued to all its members to drive dwelling their calls for on implementing the new nationwide minimum wage

Also,. the FCT council of the NLC directed employees in the six area councils of the FCT to embark on an indefinite strike on December 1 until eventually further directives have been issued