The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a stern ultimatum to state governors, demanding the full implementation of the newly approved 2024 National Minimum Wage by December 1, 2024. Failure to comply by this deadline, the NLC warns, will result in a nationwide strike across all non-compliant states. The announcement was made on Sunday, November 10, 2024, in a communique signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero, following the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In his statement, Ajaero expressed deep frustration over the ongoing delays by several state governments in enacting the new wage, despite the federal government’s approval. He pointed out that workers in the affected states were struggling to survive in the face of worsening economic conditions. “The NEC notes with deep frustration the persistent delay and outright refusal by some state governments to implement the 2024 National Minimum Wage Act,” Ajaero said.
The NLC president emphasized that the failure to implement the minimum wage was not just a legal violation but a moral one, given the immense economic hardship workers are facing. “This betrayal by certain governors and government officials across the country flies in the face of both legality and morality,” Ajaero continued. “Workers continue to be denied their rightful wages amidst rising economic hardship.”
Ajaero described the situation as a blatant disregard for the lives of millions of Nigerian workers, who, he argued, were being exploited by the very leaders sworn to protect them. “It is a blatant disregard for the law and the lives of millions of Nigerian workers, who are being exploited by the very leaders sworn to protect them,” he added.
In response to this, the NLC has resolved to take a more aggressive stance. Ajaero announced the formation of a National Minimum Wage Implementation Committee that will begin a nationwide assessment, mobilization, and awareness campaign. The committee’s objective will be to educate citizens about their rights and the need to resist what Ajaero described as an “assault on their dignity and rights.”
Furthermore, the NLC President confirmed that the Congress would not hesitate to initiate industrial actions in any state that fails to implement the minimum wage by the end of November. “The NEC therefore resolved to set up a National Minimum Wage Implementation Committee that will commence a nationwide assessment, mobilization, and campaign to educate citizens on the need to resist this assault on their dignity and rights,” Ajaero declared. “All state councils where the National Minimum Wage has not been fully implemented by the last day of November 2024 have been directed to proceed on strike beginning from December 1.”
Ajaero also called on the government to conduct a wage review and take immediate action to ease the suffering of ordinary Nigerians, as inflation continues to drive up the cost of living. “Inflation continues to rise unchecked, with the costs of basic necessities spiraling beyond the reach of the average worker,” he noted. “Millions of Nigerians are being driven into destitution, forced to choose daily between feeding their families and seeking healthcare.”
The NLC leader pointed out that the high cost of living was having severe social and health consequences, including the resurgence of malnutrition-related diseases such as Kwashiorkor and Marasmus. “Access to energy has become a mirage while workers become increasingly poorer even as they work longer hours to meet their other basic needs,” he added. “As a result, nutritional diseases like Kwashiorkor and Marasmus have resurfaced in Nigeria.”
Ajaero also reiterated the need for comprehensive social protection policies to shield Nigerians from poverty and ensure a living wage. He stressed the importance of addressing the ongoing fuel price hikes, which have exacerbated the financial struggles of the average Nigerian worker. “NLC demands appropriate pricing of petrol and calls for the public domestic refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna to quickly come back on stream to break up the monopolistic stranglehold the big players have on the industry,” he said.
The NLC President also expressed solidarity with the workers and people of Rivers State, calling for a resolution that would ensure the state continued to receive its rightful revenue allocations. “The NLC stands in solidarity with the workers and people of Rivers State. We demand an immediate resolution that allows the state to continue to have unfettered access to its rightful revenue allocations,” he stated.
Ajaero further called on President Bola Tinubu to release the remaining protesters detained in various jails across the country, stressing that the NLC had made similar demands in the past. He also called for the creation of adequate safeguards to prevent future occurrences of such arrests. “We demand an immediate resolution that allows the state to continue to have unfettered access to its rightful revenue allocations,” Ajaero said.
While the NLC has acknowledged the federal government’s efforts, particularly in providing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, Ajaero highlighted that these measures were insufficient. “The NEC-in-session expressed its appreciation to the federal government for providing CNG buses to the Congress but noted that they are grossly inadequate to address the huge gap in transportation,” he stated. “It also noted the apparent CNG infrastructure deficits around the country which may scuttle the entire CNG objectives.”
The rising cost of living remains a central concern for the NLC, with Ajaero reiterating that inflation continues to spiral unchecked, further placing pressure on Nigerian workers. “Inflation continues to rise unchecked, with the costs of basic necessities spiraling beyond the reach of the average worker,” he said.
Concluding his statement, Ajaero reaffirmed the NLC’s unwavering commitment to the wellbeing and dignity of Nigerian workers. “The Nigeria Labour Congress remains unwavering in its commitment to the wellbeing and dignity of Nigerian workers,” he said, signaling that the fight for fair wages and workers’ rights would continue until the minimum wage was fully implemented across all states in the country.
Peace OdekunleNovember 11, 20244 Mins read
