Labour Union set for three day warning strike

Abdulwahed Omar
Nigerian Labour Congress President

Labour Union set for three day warning strike
Helen Jok Shok, Abuja

Workers in Nigeria have declared a three day warning nationwide strike beginning from Wednesday July 20 to press home their demand for the implementation of the new national minimum wage of 18,000 Naira (about $120).

Rising from an emergency National Executive Council Meeting, on Tuesday in Abuja, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said it was unfortunate that three months after the National Minimum Wage was signed into law, all levels of government including the private sector have failed to implement the new wage.

Addressing the media after the meeting, NLC President, Abdulwahed Omar said even though some state governments had promised to pay the new wage, there was no negotiated payment table on which the minimum wage is based.

Other contentious issues on the minimum wage as presented by the government include the fact that only workers from grade level one to six will be beneficiaries and labour said it was unacceptable.

The three day warning strike, NLC emphasized was against the federal and state governments as well as the private sector.

However, the labour unions failed to appreciate the Lagos state government that had paid and those states, which have equally promised to pay the new minimum wage from August.

 
Qasim