The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has given states yet to commence implementation of the N30,000 Minimum Wage January 31 deadline to comply or would be shut down without notice.
Addressing the media after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Lagos, President of TUC, Quadri Olaleye, yesterday, warned that the Congress will no longer guarantee industrial peace and harmony in states which are yet to commence the implementation of N30,000 New Minimum Wage/ consequential adjustments by January 31.
He said the union has directed all states to start mobilisation, saying that the governors and their supporters will be held responsible for whatever happen after 31of January.
“The Congress advises all state governments who have not complied with the implementation and immediate payment of the N30, 000.00 new National Minimum Wage to commence negotiations and implementation on or before 31st January, 2020, otherwise the state government should be responsible for the consequences of their failure.
“State Councils have been directed to commence mobilisation of their members immediately.”
Olaleye said the report from states at the meeting showed that only six states have signed and commenced implementation, while 15 states were in the process of negotiation.
“We want to assure them this is not an empty threat. Labour will shut down any states that have not yet started the implementation or negotiation.”
He stated that it was an insubordination on the part of any state government not to have commenced payment by December 31.
“It’s an insubordination for the governors to flout the President’s order on the implementation of the new Minimum Wage. The President had said that all the federal and all states should have commenced the implementation of N30,00 Minimum Wage by 31st December, 2019. So if there’s still any state yet to commence payment that is clear insubordination and we will not hesitate to shut such state. This is not an empty threat, neither are we going back on our decision.”
Olaleye said the Congress will in the year engage any employer that violates the right of Nigerian Workers to unionize and have permanent employment.
“The government is hereby advised to extend Local Content Policy as applied in the Oil sector to be applicable to other sectors of the economy,” he said.
