Labour leaders have announced plans to resume negotiations on the N30,000 minimum wage, which were suspended in some states in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak in March.
Bibian Anekwe News understands that workers in no fewer than eight states have not been paid the minimum wage nine months after the Nigeria Labour Congress, gave a deadline to state governments.
Labour leaders had told newsmen that Osun, Kwara, Ekiti, Imo, Gombe, Kogi, Zamfara and Ebonyi state governments did not implement the minimum wage.
Bibian Anekwe News however learnt that due to the hike in fuel price and electricity tariff, workers were demanding fresh talks.
The Trade Union Congress said together with the NLC it would stage street protests in states where implementation of the minimum wage had not started.
It noted that they have commenced the protests in Rivers and Ogun states, a few days ago.
He added that workers would storm Imo State soon for the minimum wage protests.
Although the new minimum wage bill was signed by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), into law on April 18, 2019, both labour and the Federal Government did not agree on consequential adjustment of workers’ salaries until October 17, 2019.
In October, the Federal Government and the NLC agreed on 23.2 percentage increase for workers at grade level 07; 20 per cent for those at grade level 08; 19 per cent for workers at grade level 09; 16 per cent for those on levels 10 to 14; and 14 per cent for workers at grade levels 15 to 17
In a communiqué issued after its meeting on December 11, 2019, the NLC gave state governments a December 31 deadline to conclude negotiations on the minimum wage.
Due to the hike in fuel price, the talks on implementation of minimum wage in states, especially those that had not implemented it, has resumed.
