The organized labour unions in Abia State have issued a 14-day ultimatum to Governor Alex Otti, demanding the full payment of the N30,000 national minimum wage and the N35,000 palliative wage award, both approved by the federal government for state workers.
This ultimatum was communicated through a letter from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Abia State Council and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Abia State Council.
The labour unions highlighted that the N30,000 national minimum wage and the N35,000 wage award were approved eight months ago, yet the state government has not implemented them.
They noted that a committee was previously established to develop a salary structure based on the N30,000 minimum wage, but the state government failed to act on it.
The letter, signed by Comrade Ogbonnaya Okoro and Comrade Emma Alozie (Abia NLC Chairman and Secretary, respectively), Comrade Eneogwe Ihechi and Comrade George Okogbue (Abia TUC Chairman and Secretary, respectively), and Comrade Innocent Ekwenye and Comrade Oby Maduako (Chairman and Secretary of the Joint Negotiating Council, respectively), referred to a directive from a national labour meeting held in Abuja on May 20, 2024.
This directive instructed state councils to issue a 14-day ultimatum to state governments that have not yet implemented the former national minimum wage and the palliative wage award.
The letter expressed the organized labour’s dismay at the various challenges facing labour unions and their members in Abia State.
These challenges include the non-implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage and the N35,000 palliative wage award. The labour unions criticized the state government’s failure to fully implement the national minimum wage since 2019, despite agreements between organized labour, the government, and private sector employers, and despite the federal government’s gazette.
The unions lamented the state government’s continuous refusal to engage in further discussions on the minimum wage issue. They also expressed deep regret over the non-implementation of the N35,000 palliative wage award, which was announced eight months ago, stating that this has significantly lowered workers’ morale in the state.
The letter urged Governor Otti to establish the necessary mechanisms to commence the full implementation of both the N30,000 former national minimum wage and the N35,000 wage award within 14 days, in accordance with the directive from the joint National Executive Council meeting of the NLC and TUC.
The organized labour emphasized that governance is a continuous process and implored the governor to address these issues promptly.
