The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC in Abia State have threatened to reactivate their suspended strike on November 2, 2024, if the state government does not show seriousness and transparency in the negotiation for the payment of the new minimum wage.
This is even as the organized labour has claimed that the effective date for the payment of new minimum wage to Abia workers remains July 29, 2024.
Rising from their State Action Committee and State Executive Council meeting held on Saturday, Chairman of NLC, Okoro Ogbonnaya and TUC Chairman, Ikechi Enogwe among others, said they resolved to give the state government a seven-day ultimatum within which to conclude the negotiation of the new minimum wage, saying that the ultimatum period started on Saturday, 26th October, 2024 and expires by midnight of Friday, 1st November 2024.
“At the expiration of this ultimatum by midnight of Friday, 1st November 2024, the organized labour would be forced to reactivate her earlier suspended strike action,” the joint communique by NLC and TUC warned.
The labour leaders alleged that the Abia State government was yet to be transparent in issuing the minimum wage payment template available to them.
According to the communique, “whatever the state government wants to pay the workers this October, will be termed as bonus payment to cushion the effect of hardship/ palliative award and not minimum wage”.
The Abia State government had on Saturday, urged the workers in the state to call their leadership to order, stating that the NLC leadership was exhibiting an unprovoked hostile disposition.
This followed a letter reportedly written by NLC leadership to the Abia State House of Assembly, where the labour leaders alleged that the state government wants to cede 90% of local government funds to the Abia State government, leaving the LGAs with only 10%.
The State government which spoke through Ferdinand Ekeoma, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Alex Otti, said the NLC leadership was peddling fake news.
