The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ebonyi State chapter, has commenced a seven-day warning strike, in response to the state Government’s inability to implement the national minimum wage.
Professor Ogugua Egwu, Chairman of NLC in Ebonyi State disclosed this journalists during a press conference held in Abakaliki, the state capital, Sunday.
In the statement, signed by all affiliate unions, Egwu emphasized that the strike was in line with a directive from the NLC’s national body.
The union accused the state government of bypassing proper procedures for implementing the new minimum wage.
According to Egwu, on October 2, 2024, a Minimum Wage Implementation Committee was inaugurated, but just as it was finalizing its report, Governor David Umahi unilaterally announced wage awards of NGN75,000 for Grade Levels 1 and 2, and NGN40,000 for Grade Levels 3-16, in a church service on October 27, 2024.
The NLC has criticized this move, stating that it lacked consultation with the union and did not follow the standard process for adjusting wages in line with collective bargaining agreements.
The union further accused the state of not implementing the NGN30,000 minimum wage introduced in 2019 and said the salary charts in use have not been adjusted to reflect the minimum wage, leaving workers with insufficient pay.
The NLC also raised concerns about issues such as unpaid salaries for local government workers and teachers, confusion around the payment process, and the requirement for workers to pay NGN2,100 to participate in a staff audit exercise.
The union believes that the governor’s response to their appeals has been dismissive, with no positive action taken.
Despite these challenges, the NLC expressed hope that the governor would reconsider his stance and engage in meaningful dialogue.
The strike is intended as a last resort to press the state government into complying with the agreed-upon procedures for the implementation of the national minimum wage.