Some of the NLC officials in Abakaliki on Sunday December 1, 2024.
NLC: Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, pay attention to the demand and welfare of Ebonyi workers and abide by the new minimum wage
By Nweze Anaga,
Abakaliki
The Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), Ebonyi State chaptre has declared a one-week warning strike following the inability of the state government to implement the new minimum wage as passed by Federal Government of Nigeria.
The state NLC Chairman, Prof Ogugua Egwu, told newmen on Sunday that the one-week warning strike would start by Monday December 2, 2024 by 12:00am.
He further disclosed that the SEC members, national, on November 27, 2024, ordered all the state branches of NLC to embark on warning strike on Friday November 29, 2024 if the state government failed to implement the new minimum wage.
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Egwu pointed out that the committee set up by the governor has not presented their report before the governor declared his own position which doesn’t capture the interest of the workers as it partains to the new minimum wage.
He further appealed to Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru to pay attention to the demand and welfare of Ebonyi workers and abide by the new minimum wage.
Egwu, who noted that Governor Francis Nwifuru inaugurated a Minimum Wage Implementation Committee, added that Just as the Committee was preparing its report, the governor unilaterally pronounced a wage award of NGN75,000 to grade levels 1 and 2, and NGN40,000 across board award for
Grade levels 3-16.
“This was done in a church service (Holy Mass in Government House
Chapel) on the 27th October, 2024.
“This wage award which he christened “minimum wage” is averse to the traditional procedures of implementing minimum wage no matter the magnitude of the beautiful intent with which he made the pronouncement”, he said.
The NLC leader further lamented that workers at the Local Government Councils were yet to
receive their October 2024 salaries.
“Teachers who are being paid are paid through a different bank channel creating confusions as most statutory deductions are not effected.
“This is an anomaly that needs to be corrected before our poor teachers are further plunged into debilitating and abject poverty. And delays in the payment of monthly salaries of these Local Government Councils have become perennial and consistently weighed down on the psyche of the workers.
“When a Minimum wage is pronounced, it goes through the rigours of consequential adjustments that will translate into an agreement signed by both the Government and the Organised Labour but all these processes were not followed,” Egwu said.
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