Ebonyi state chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a seven-day warning strike to the state government.
Gatekeepers News reports that the strike set to begin on December 2, 2024, is in response to the state government’s failure to implement national minimum wage.
Chairman of the union, Professor Ogugua Egwu announced this during a press conference in Abakaliki on Sunday.
In the statement, signed by all affiliate unions, Egwu noted that the strike was in line with a directive from 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, the state 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.
NLC criticised 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 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.
It also raised concerns about issues such as unpaid salaries for local government workers and teachers, confusion around the payment process, and requirement for workers to pay NGN2,100 to participate in a staff audit exercise.
According to the union; the Governor’s response to their appeals has been dismissive, with no positive action taken.
NLC further expressed hope that the Governor would reconsider his stance and engage in meaningful dialogue.
